Australian Medical Association (WA)

Australian Medical Association (WA) The AMA (WA) is Western Australia's largest independent professional organisation for medical practitioners.

As a member of the AMA you are part of the nation's peak medical group representing over 28,000 doctors Australia-wide. The AMA (WA) is the largest independent professional organisation for medical practitioners and medical students in Western Australia

The AMA (WA) looks after the professional and industrial needs of members at all stages of their careers, and is committed to advancing the medic

al profession. The Association is dedicated to protecting individual members and the collective interests of all doctors, be they working in WA's public hospital system, running a private practice or providing services in community health centres in the rural and remote parts of the state. The AMA (WA) negotiates and lobbies policy makers to represent the views and interests of the medical profession and to promote the welfare of patients to all those associated with the provision of health care within Western Australia and at a federal level. Patient care and public health are high priorities to members of the AMA, and the AMA (WA) also campaigns tirelessly for the rights of patients, better public health services, guaranteed freedom of choice in the private system and the right to retain access to Australia's high standards of medicine. The AMA campaigns on welfare issues affecting a community of over 2.1 million patients across the state of WA.

04/06/2026

AMA Council of General Practice Chair Dr Simon Torvaldsen spoke to 6PR about the loss of the only general practice in Kalbarri, and the problems that many GPs face when providing bulk-billing services.

Dr Torvaldsen explains that, since the 1980s, the Medicare rebate has been halved in real terms, which makes it essentially unsustainable for GPs to keep their practice open.

"The rebate has been reduced over time, but also we're needing to spend longer with people to give the care that they require. And it really makes it very difficult - you don't want to disincentivise GPs from spending the amount of time they need with their patients," he says.

"No doctor goes into any field of medicine in order not to be able to give the care that people need. So what we're effectively doing with low rebates is saying either you earn a very low income, or you have to take shortcuts and see more patients per hour and not give the level of care that you know people need."

Rural Health West

Adolescents are being shaped by algorithms before they ever walk into your consult room.Social media feeds, AI companion...
02/06/2026

Adolescents are being shaped by algorithms before they ever walk into your consult room.

Social media feeds, AI companions, and digital environments are actively influencing identity, behaviour, risk-taking, and mental health. Most clinicians haven’t been trained to assess this—yet it’s already impacting care.

Our Youth Friendly Doctor (YFD) workshop: AI, Algorithms & the Adolescent Mind addresses this gap directly.

Delivered by Kaylene Kerr (eSafeKids) and Paul Litherland (former WA Police, Technology Crime Investigation Unit), this session translates complex digital systems into clear, clinically actionable insight.

This was one of our highest-rated workshops last year—and demand is already strong. Attend in person or online (recording included, CPD still awarded). Free for AMA (WA) members.

If you’re seeing young people in practice, this is no longer optional knowledge.

Language shapes who can participate, who feels included and who is able to make informed decisions.Western Australia’s l...
01/06/2026

Language shapes who can participate, who feels included and who is able to make informed decisions.

Western Australia’s linguistic landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by skilled migration, international students and family migration.

Understanding what this means, and how to respond, requires more than data. It requires insight into how communities live, communicate and build trust.

This is where working with specialists matters.

Polaron Connect brings together language data, cultural insight and practical experience to help organisations design communication that is not only accessible, but genuinely effective.

Link in the comments.

⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️Join us for a night of trivia, laughter and fabulous entertainment as we celebrate 30 years of Dr YES.Hosted b...
30/05/2026

⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️
Join us for a night of trivia, laughter and fabulous entertainment as we celebrate 30 years of Dr YES.

Hosted by The Court’s powerhouse drag queen Fay Rociousx, this inclusive trivia night promises plenty of fun, friendly competition.

Every ticket sold helps Dr YES deliver youth health education to thousands of students across WA!

Book your table now!

New research warns that the cost of quitting smoking, particularly for people on low incomes, can now be higher than the...
29/05/2026

New research warns that the cost of quitting smoking, particularly for people on low incomes, can now be higher than the cost of continuing to smoke.

The University of Notre Dame Australia Professor Lisa Wood said there was strong evidence that people with heavy ni****ne dependence were far more likely to quit successfully when they had access to combination stop-smoking NRT medications.

Prof Wood’s paper, “Failing those who most need support to quit smoking: Australia must do better”, published in Public Health Research & Practice, says Australia’s approach to smoking cessation is leaving behind the people who most need support.

“Most people who smoke want to quit, but quitting is hard and often takes many attempts,” Prof Wood said. “The people most likely to still be ni****ne dependent are also the least able to afford effective treatment.”

The research shows Australia is falling well behind World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations in providing free or affordable access to evidence-based stop-smoking treatments, despite to***co remaining the leading preventable cause of death.

Link to the article in the comments.

28/05/2026

AMA (WA) President Dr Kyle Hoath spoke to ABC Perth about the State Government's announcement that Bethesda Health Care will take over the operation of Mount Hospital.

Dr Hoath says that the AMA (WA) welcomes this outcome.

"Our major concern would be the loss of it as a hospital rather than another hospital operator stepping in. To have lost a hospital would have been a disaster, especially as we head into another tough winter," he said.

"The Mount team have some very experienced doctors and senior leaders there that have been there for a long time. Bethesda have run similar operations. I think they are a good match, particularly if there's some capacity to have some excess beds used by the public sector."

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners vice president and AMA (WA) councillor, Dr Ramya Raman, has a special ...
28/05/2026

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners vice president and AMA (WA) councillor, Dr Ramya Raman, has a special interest in women's health.

In a video for the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Dr Raman provides an overview of perimenopause and menopause, including the symptoms, treatments and support options.

Link to the video in comments.

27/05/2026

Dr Stephen Oo, the AMA (WA) Pediatrics Spokesperson, spoke to ABC Perth about the increasingly long public wait list to see a paediatrician.

Dr Oo points out that delays mean avoidable hospital visits, and for those with developmental problems it also means delayed therapy, delayed school support - creating enormous stresses on families.

"Early intervention makes a major difference for very little ones, and we do have a very tight window in early life where therapy is more effective."

In case you missed it, this month's Medicus magazine covers Rural Health West's newly established Aboriginal Advisory Gr...
26/05/2026

In case you missed it, this month's Medicus magazine covers Rural Health West's newly established Aboriginal Advisory Group.

The inaugural chair is Dr Stephanie Trust – a Gidja and Walmajarri woman – who is clinical director of the Wunan Health and Well-Being Centre in Kununurra. Dr Trust, a former member of the Rural Health West Board, says strengthening Aboriginal leadership in health is critical to creating sustainable change in rural and remote Australia.

“Closing the gap in health cannot be achieved without genuine partnership with Aboriginal peoples. For Rural Health West, this means ensuring Aboriginal voices help guide our priorities, our programs, and the way we work with communities.

“Our communities have the knowledge and the capability to shape solutions,” she says. “When Aboriginal people are part of the leadership and decision-making, it strengthens the whole system and helps ensure the services being delivered truly meet community needs.”

As we mark the start of Reconciliation Week, the AMA (WA) celebrates efforts to ensure that Aboriginal people, and their knowledge, perspectives and lived experience, are at the forefront of designing and delivering health programs.

Pictured are committee members: Stephen Morrison, Dr Christine Clinch, Dr Stephanie Trust, Jessica Curnuck and Mitchell Walley.

Medicus is free to read for all AMA (WA) members. There's a link to the article in the comments.

Address

10 Stirling Highway
Perth, WA
6009

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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+61892733000

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