A GP’s perspective on the Government’s pandemic management
People on the Northern Beaches have made many sacrifices over the last two years to help protect our loved ones and the wider community.
As a local GP in Narrabeen, I have seen the impact of the pandemic on my patients and my colleagues across general practice, hospitals, emergency and community services and aged care. As dedicated health professionals, we have worked tirelessly to safeguard our community’s health and wellbeing. Right now, we are in crisis.
With the outbreak of Omicron, I hear daily accounts of a health system and health workers at breaking point. Patients with chronic illnesses going without care for weeks. Waiting times for mental health support on the Northern Beaches that are months-long. Nurses working double shifts, 7-days a week without a break. Doctors expected to work even if they have COVID. GPs unable to keep up with demand while their staff cop abuse from people angry at the Government because they can’t lay their hands on a Rapid Antigen Test or they’ve had their child’s vaccine appointment delayed because supplies haven’t arrived on time.
Three years into the pandemic, this is not how it should be. The Federal Government dropped the ball on national pandemic training exercises, which have not been run in Australia since Exercise Sustain in 2008. The national health exercises were designed to help prepare our country for a global pandemic, testing the health system’s capacity and our ability to mitigate the effects of a virus on the Australian community.
Now is the time to learn from the lessons of the current pandemic and apply them to preparing our health system, our health workforce and our community, for the next pandemic. We must transform our capabilities to ensure we have the infrastructure to rapidly deliver vaccines, treatments and Australian-made supply lines of medical products such as PPE and antigen tests. We must also look to the development of COVID-19 monitoring systems through advances in digital healthcare technology and clearer and consistent public health measures and communication strategies.
A Royal Commission into the Government’s handling of the pandemic will facilitate a process to openly and honestly review the decisions taken, and not taken, by the Government to ensure we are better prepared next time. The findings can inform a robust national pandemic readiness plan co-developed with experts across sectors, including health, business, freight and logistics and all levels of government to ensure Australia is better prepared in mitigating the economic, social and health impacts of the next pandemic.
We need to reinstate national pandemic training exercises every two years, and develop a framework for local pandemic planning strategies unique to the needs of local communities. We know all too well the sacrifices the Northern Beaches community made with the lockdown in Christmas 2020 to protect the rest of Australia from the virus and the impact that had on our mental health and livelihoods.
The Government must invest more in our healthcare system and health workforce. Nurses and aged care workers need a pay rise now to reflect their value to our society and to retain the workforce needed to meet future health challenges. Further investment in general practice and public hospitals must build capacity to manage a future pandemic more effectively and provide the necessary supports for our healthcare workers’ mental health and wellbeing.
As a Mum, a GP and if elected as your Independent MP for Mackellar, I will seize the opportunities we have today to better prepare for our future tomorrow.
*Learn more about Dr Sophie Scamps‘ policy platforms, priorities and upcoming events at: https://www.sophiescamps.com.au/