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Credit: Cathy Wilcox
HEALTH CARE WORK
Re “Assaults on hospital workers soar to record high”, 17/11. There is no denying that sky-rocketing threats, abuse and assaults of hospital staff are fuelled by psychostimulant use, alcohol-driven disinhibition, the epidemic of mental health crises, long wait times and ambulance ramping.
As a frontline emergency doctor of 30 years, the elephant in the room is the pervasive de-valuation of our under-appreciated and over-utilised 24/7 public hospital system. There is a deep problem when the “worried well” treat precious resources such as the ambulance service like a free Uber ride, or expect to be seen immediately in the ED for a small scratch or a puff of smoke blown into their eye at a bar.
The acute health care made available to all-comers at no direct cost so that Australia has universal access to “free care” is non-negotiable to provide a safety net for the whole community.
Open access to anyone who enters the ED also means we shoot ourselves in the foot when a precious resource that is available around the clock has its worth denigrated by those who don’t value or respect it.
Perhaps we need education in school that teaches kids to respect and judiciously use our hospitals only for serious illness and injury.
Dr Joseph Ting, Carina, Qld
Promised new hospitals gone missing
The Victorian ALP promised at the last election to build new hospitals to service the increasing demands for medical care. We now know that existing hospitals do not have enough money to meet their operational costs. How were they going to honour this promise?
Christine Baker, Rosanna
Root problem is lack of respect for healthworkers
Violence against healthcare workers is prevalent everywhere in the healthcare system, not only in hospitals, not only committed by the mentally unwell and drug-affected, and not only against nurses and midwives ″Violent assaults on hospital workers″, 18/11.
It affects everyone in health including receptionists and nurses in community clinics, clerical and administrative staff, doctors, paramedics and allied health workers. It is a spectrum of behaviour and is not just violence, but includes sarcastic remarks, put-downs, unreasonable demands, swearing, shouting.
The root cause is lack of respect for healthcare workers as humans. The contrasting two headlines (17/11) about violence against doctors when it’s extreme only with ″Calls to name and shame dodgy doctors″, is part of the disrespect.
The majority of healthcare workers are trying to do their best. The extremes grow from the community’s sense of being ‘justified’ in displaying bad behaviour.
Dr Felicity Heale, Middle Park
State government ignores the basics
The Age reports 25,000 serious cases of assault have occurred in our hospitals over the last year. This does not come as a surprise in Melbourne where hardly a day goes by without a bashing or a miscreant excessively speeding down a freeway, only to be almost immediately bailed. Our unhappy police force has to go on strike, and what will happen when teachers soon put in for a justifiable pay rise? Our hospitals are running out of cash, while schools and roads are in poor shape.
At the extreme, there seems to be a growing malaise in the community that this government with its fixation on enormously expensive, unsubstantiated projects will not listen to community concerns. Instead, it seems to ignore the trivial fact that Victoria’s debt will reach the staggering level of $175 billion.
On top of this, is the Age report ″State quietly puts $9.6b on ’credit card‴ (18/11).
The premier’s common response is “we are getting on with the job”. She should focus on what the community desperately needs now. Get back to basics.
Tony Davidson, Glen Waverley
THE FORUM
Private nurse inequity
I am a perioperative nurse at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Fitzroy.
Recently, the state government passed a 28.4 per cent pay increase for public sector nurses over the next four years. Private hospital nurses will not receive this increase. Traditionally, whatever the public sector achieved in its EBA, the private sector would match. This time, we are being told that St Vincent’s simply does not have the money (noting the recent $180 million refurbishment of our Fitzroy campus).
For years, public nurses and public patients have also benefited from nurse and midwife-to-patient ratios that ensure safe working conditions and staffing levels. Few private hospitals in Victoria have ratios. This means private nurses are being asked to care for more patients than their public counterparts for less money, and without the same benefits.
Unless something changes – starting with the health funds providing much-needed money to the private sector – there will be no private nurses left. More private hospitals will close, and more strain will be placed on our already stretched public hospitals.
We are taking protected industrial action as a last resort. We simply want what public nurses in this state will receive. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Tina Duparc, Doreen
Vape blame
Your investigation (“‘Big vape’: How Chinese multinationals and organised crime fuelled a public health crisis”, 17/11) describes the enormity of the problem that vapes have become – including the justifiable disquiet of pharmacists. Laying the blame at the feet of the federal government and suggesting it was “Albanese government policy” – even hinting at bribery – is totally unfair, however, while giving a free pass to both the Greens and the opposition. The very same report later states: “The government watered down its prescription-only model in a deal with the Greens ...“
The “deal” with the Greens was presumably the only way any legislation curbing the previous free-for-all was likely to occur. Why isn’t accountability for the mess being directed where it belongs?
Liz Levy, Suffolk Park, NSW
Vaping the planet
Your article (“Big Vape”, 17/11) chiefly highlights the health and crime implications of vaping. There is another huge area of concern – the environmental impact. Many vapes are plastic and can’t be recycled due to potential nicotine content. Discarded vapes can also leak, creating contamination and plastic waste that takes centuries to degrade.
The batteries can be separated out to go to shops that have battery disposal facilities. You can also separate out the liquid waste, which you may be able to dispose of at a pharmacy as an unwanted medicine.
The effort required is a disincentive that would deter many from bothering. Councils are all grappling with this issue. The sooner we can educate and support people to get off these products, the better for their health, law enforcement, and the environment.
Elaine Hopper, Blackburn
Cannabinoid treatment
Re: ″Seven-minute scripts: How top cannabis company fosters GP consults (17/11)″.
As a qualified GP, I was recently surprised to discover a long-term patient was receiving cannabinoid treatment only by an alert from the now mandatory ″safe script″ drug notification service. This service is built into our clinical software. I had not otherwise been consulted after the patient self-referred to the respective cannabinoid-prescribing clinic.
After querying the cannabis clinic concerned about interaction risks with the patient’s existing medications, I was surprised by the practice manager’s response: ″Do you want me to ask Dr X ... to stop prescribing it?″
Given cannabinoid treatments remain at the trial stage, robust data on quality, safety and efficacy is not readily available to primary care physicians. I am relying on the cannabinoid-prescribing doctor’s working knowledge to proactively determine the risk of interactions with any tranquilising or opiate-based medications already taken by the patient, and of course to communicate professionally with me.
Dr Michael Daly, Hampton
Archbishop’s priority
Archbishop Peter Comensoli is concerned that the government’s proposed overhaul of Victoria’s hate laws will erode protections for religious freedom.
Is he also concerned that we have other laws that appear to be totally inadequate, as highlighted by the recent High Court decision to overturn a Victorian Supreme Court and Court of Appeal ruling that the Ballarat Diocese of his church is not liable for the misconduct of one of its priests?
Judy Kevill, Ringwood
Shame on church
The recent decision by the High Court (″Gillard urges action over abuse ruling″, 17/11) brings to mind the adage that “while the law has been served, justice has not”. In this case, one can conclude that while the High Court is a court of law, it is not a court dispensing justice.
However, the shame on the Catholic Church for continuing to hide its responsibilities behind a reprehensible special trust structure is immeasurable.
Robert Campbell, Brighton East
Christmas tradition
Palestinian protesters should themselves physically and financially do something positive to help those affected by war. Their actions of disruption, as demonstrated last weekend by intimidating and insulting parents and children who are celebrating an accepted tradition of Christmas, are unacceptable to the vast majority of Australians. Is this an attack on a Christian tradition that is over 2000 years old?
Ross Kroger, Barwon Heads
Premier’s language
The premier should be congratulated, not castigated, for calling the protesters responsible for shutting down the Myer window display as morons. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a moron as someone lacking in intelligence, judgment or sense. The confected outrage at a mildly offensive term from those who often use far worse language and behaviour at political rallies is laughable.
Allan should also have labelled Myer cowardly for caving in to the protesters’ pressure. Corporate cowardice is no less moronic than the demonstrators’ hypocrisy.
Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully
TAC take irony
The state government will take $300 million from the Transport Accident Commission this year. In the same year, the government will give $100 million to the Australian Grand Prix Corporation to enhance the corporation’s balance sheet. It’s rather odd that the government financially supports F1 car racing and at the same time reduces funding for road safety.
Geoff Gowers, Merricks North
Identity politics
George Brandis’ attempt to mark a distinction between Trumpism and LNP conservatism (″Dutton can’t win by aping Trump – and he knows it″, 17/11) would be far better heard if he didn’t fall into the trap he rails so heavily against. While bemoaning identity politics and cautioning against going down that road in Australia, he goes on to use adjectives to describe the left as writing “idiotically” and being “intellectually lazy”.
In Brandis’ world view, the left are in-and-of themselves at fault, whereas those in the “voluble echo chamber of the far right” are just occupants – victims unaware.
Adrian Jackson, Kensington
Professionalism in politics
George Brandis (17/11) is surely correct that Trumpism doesn’t offer a pathway for Peter Dutton, but he may not realise quite how accurate his words were.
To judge from a recent town hall meeting held by Zoe Daniels, the independent member for Goldstein, Australian politics is shifting, not only in the what, but the how.
This was not simply a teal independent communicating with a few supporters about the value of independent oversight of government legislation, it also looked like a movement in full flush. Certainly, it was crafted: there was good lighting, rousing introductory speeches, and then the representative – tall, well-spoken, calm, moderate and all in white. The professionals had come to town. If there is much more of this, the operatives of Labor, the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens will have much to think about.
Richard Campbell, Brighton
Seen this movie before
In 2006, a film called Idiocracy was released. It was a satirical look at where the world was going and what a country might look like after being run by celebrities for a while.
It didn’t do very well at the box office, but looking back now it seems to have been profoundly prophetic. It needs to be released again.
Vicki Myers, Fitzroy
Don’t blame Jamie Oliver
Back in 1983, a book by a well-known and respected American science fiction author was published. I can only assume that the publisher’s American editor had no idea that the abbreviation the author used for an Aboriginal species discovered on an uncharted planet was an extremely racist term in Australia.
In 2024, one expects better. But as a freelance editor for independent authors, please stop blaming Jamie Oliver for the cultural inappropriateness of his children’s book. It is the editor’s role (even in fiction) to alert the author to potential issues.
However, in the case of a traditionally published book, we cannot blame the editor, who, no doubt, was given the strict instruction (and budget) for a “light copy edit” (aka “just fix the commas”). The onus then is on the publisher who approved the manuscript.
Kim Smith, Hughesdale
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
Christmas windows
I find it hard to understand this particular protest. The Christmas message is, surely, universal: peace on earth, and goodwill towards men. This aim is something we can all support.
Margaret Menting, Surrey Hills
One of the few things Jacinta Allan has done right is calling the Myer window protesters morons.
Ian Powell, Glen Waverley
Furthermore
I’m not sure Archbishop Peter Comensoli can speak for the Catholic Church, as according to the church’s latest legal arguments, its priests are independent contractors and not part of the church.
Janine Truter, The Basin
″Banana, tape on sale for $1.5m″ (18/11). Is this art gone mad or, you could say, bananas?
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine
I’m a great fan of visual art, but stick a banana on a wall for
$1.5 million? You know where they should stick it.
Scott Lowe, Highton
There are over 100 biblical scriptures spelling out how hard it will be for a rich man to enter heaven. Take heart all ye who are ″as poor as church mice″.
Tris Raouf, Hadfield
For a prince or pauper, the amount of money required is the same:
just a little bit more. For a billionaire, it is about the power that it buys.
Peter Thomas, Pascoe Vale
Given Trump’s recent appointments to his next government, it is apposite that bookshops and libraries move their collections of post - apocalyptic fiction to the current affairs section.
John Walsh, Watsonia
And so it would seem we are to live through a different version of
Back to the Future 2 where Biff becomes president of the US! Where is Marty McFly when we need him?
Helen Stillwell, Nth Balwyn
It’s a wonder Trump hasn’t found a job for Hannibal Lecter yet.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
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