GPs who do thorough medical care, showing up for both mental health and physical health are *penalised* by the Australian Medicare system. But this story buries the lede (completely): Mark Butler is killing off Mental Health item numbers for GP patients next month 🤯 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

This is really sad, friends. Surely there must be a way to save it? www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/04/m...

Thank you @gingergorman. I appreciate your brave and thoughtful words. The bullying and silencing (of brave souls who speak their conscience against violence and complicity) is ripping us apart. It's happening across all industries, including healthcare, and most stories never 'go public'.

Loved this discussion exploring family secrets, which included my esteemed colleague @ashleybarnwell.bsky.social www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Took a class of Narrative Medicine students to see this play, 'The Black Woman of Gippsland'. They loved every moment of this. The layered story. The fierce acting. The challenging of history. The incredible dance. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @australia.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/m...

@mariamtokhi.bsky.social you need to know that a Palestinian colleague in the West Bank, a primary care doctor and a medical educator who is still doing all she can for her patients and students was immensely heartened by this when I shared. We are in contact often. She told me she needed this.

We cannot stay silent. 1000 of my Australian colleagues are calling for government action to end the loss of life in Palestine.

If politicians really want to be 'tough on crime': - improve safe and stable housing access - improve access to primary and mental health care - support early childhood education - support family planning and parenting Policing is only the tip of the iceberg. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05...

I remember the moment I realised that under Medicare I was being penalised for doing good Medicine, and patients were being punished for seeking it. Thanks @gpswampwarrior.bsky.social for writing this. www.medicalrepublic.com.au/medicare-mis...

Wow. Curious to hear what GPs and patients think about this?👇🏾 @timsenior.bsky.social @kangaroobeach.bsky.social @lizsturgiss.bsky.social @karenmagraith.bsky.social @brookmanknight.bsky.social @racgp.bsky.social www.afr.com/politics/fed...

This is such important reporting, and such an important conversation. Whose experiences are taken seriously? (In healthcare, in all institutions of care, in our families, in our communities...) www.smh.com.au/national/a-w...

Had the opportunity to spend the day reflecting on the importance of stories in #clinicalpractice & #research at the #Narrative Meets #Medicine symposium. And I've found my next podcast created by the Narrative Network. This episode features the day's hosts: blogs.unimelb.edu.au/narrative-ne...

Yesterday people commited to healthcare, story and creativity came together for Australia's first Narrative Medicine symposium, an enriching interdisciplinary collaboration with the Faculties of Arts and Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at The University of Melbourne.

An open letter to federal election candidates, on the importance of clean air - it comes as the @WHO Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health is held this week in Colombia www.croakey.org/an-open-lett... #AusPol #CleanAir

"International humanitarian law in its current form cannot be relied upon... Medical associations and specialty societies must lead advocacy efforts to ensure that hospitals, health care workers, and patients are protected and not viewed as military targets." onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author...

Well, this is a disappointing turn of events. What happened to reducing conflicts of interest, improving quality and real, multidisciplinary collaboration? www.ama.com.au/qld/news/Pha...

Want a little taste of the work we are doing in Narrative Medicine? Thanks #rcheducation for taking a leap with poetry and medicine in the same podcast! Lmk if you listen ❤️ open.spotify.com/episode/7wNy...

UPDATE—Mahmoud's attorney says they do NOT know where he is. They were first told he was sent to an ICE facility in Elizabeth, NJ. But when his 8-month-pregnant wife tried to visit him, she was told he's not there. They've received reports he may be sent as far away as Louisiana.

Happy International Women's Day. May we challenge the systems that undervalue us, overwork us and keep us "lesser than". And may one day, Medicare pay me as much as the taciturn man-doc in the room next door. #genderpaygap #medicare #medsky #slowmedicine @racgp.bsky.social

On the pledges for Medicare. (And a shout out to the Greens who have also committed to supporting primary care by salarying GPs in areas of need.) www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

THIS is the sort of thing you’re supposed to spend billions on.

Albanese’s bulk billing pledge renews the promise at the heart of Medicare www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

GPs and patients of Australia, are you excited or worried, hopeful or hopeless about just-promised Medicare reform?🧐 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02...

Good to see the importance of medical oxygen being given some air time-- its a lifesaving medication: something we often take for granted in Australia, but not available or accessible in so many health settings around the world. //www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/health/medical-oxygen-shortage.html

We believe in the power of quality #primarycare, considering the psychological, social, and economic dimensions of health, to reduce social inequities. Explore our aims and scope and submit your manuscript today! Find out more ➡️ bit.ly/40T8uO3 #medsky #familymedicinesky #internalmedicinesky

This is progress. Good call from the Australian Labor government. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02...

A lot has happened since we published this article but it remains relevant: www.croakey.org/chaos-confus...

the value of primary care and narrative medicine both!!

A medical administration manager at John Hunter Hospital has called its junior doctors a ‘workforce of clinical marshmallows’. This is completely unacceptable. Junior doctors are overworked, underpaid, and as this instance clearly shows: undervalued. NSW doctors deserve better!

I've deleted the post calling in all #clinicalmarshmallows because I was educated that the email screenshot was too identifying. May we all stay soft and joyful enough to support each other's well-being

This is such a beautiful article about the value of relationship and time in primary care. It's an American piece, but speaks to many of the issues we face in Australia, too. #primarycare #slowmedicine #medicare www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How do we engage with anti-Medicine narratives? How do we balance listening and telling? How do we value people's lived experiences but reject dangerous narratives, pseudoscience and fake healers? Things I've been thinking about, in the wake of precious little Elizabeth Struh's death.

For 2025 I want peace on Earth, and I don't mean it in the cheery beauty pageant-y way. Peace is much harder than war. I want people with power to act with maturity not anger. To stop fighting over land and fight for people's wellbeing instead. Peace, shelter, food, water, education. Please. 🙏❤️🙏❤️

This is cheeky and seems anticompetitive. GPs were all made to sign up to this free platform in order to make referrals to public hospitals. Now the private company HealthLink is going to start charging us for it. Tricked us, hey? www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/profe...

Great summary of how we create safe spaces in GP consultations: - turn taking - discussion of off-task topics - pausing, listening - moderating pace - minimizing interruptions - triaging topics to create time, expressing emotions - 'inviting' questions - open body language What would you add?

Lovely reading ⬇️ A warm start to the day & reminds me why I ❤️ general practice which supports continuous, comprehensive , co-ordinated primary care. Unhurried first contact ( including in a crisis) is also wonderful #PrimaryCare #DeepEndGP #bjgp

This dilemma in #BreastCancer makes my heart ache. A drug approval can give priceless, precious, extra months of life to a patient who wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise. But on a systemic level, the cost *is* borne by some other group, because there are finite resources. 💔

Thank you #medicalrepublic for talking to me about #NarrativeMedicine, #Writing, #PrimaryCare and #Health Systems! All my favourite things! www.medicalrepublic.com.au/learning-wha...

My incredible colleague and poet Andy Jackson, is leading this great event, which everyone is welcome to attend in person (or online). This is an incredible, free Narrative Medicine learning opportunity, thanks to RMIT's Health Transformation Lab. events.humanitix.com/writing-the-...

Listen here: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr... www.abc.net.au/radio/listen/ #Empathy #ContemplativeStudies

Thank you to the incredible folks @contemplateuom.bsky.social for this fantastic event, now available to listen back to on Radio National @abcnewsaustralia.bsky.social Looking forward to future collaborations!

Joining me on tonight's BIG IDEAS, 2 profound guests: #RhondaMagee (USA) author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice & #MariamTokhi (AUSTRALIA) on ways to care for each other even in times of division, tribalism, & conflict. Re/discover your innate empath. Podcast it www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Thank you @natashamitchell.bsky.social and Rhonda Magee for this gorgeous conversation on Empathy. It was an honour to contribute and talk about Narrative Medicine. PS-- If you're doing anti-racism work, l highly recommend Rhonda's incredible book to sustain you. www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

It is unconscionable to starve civilians, including children, with the denial of humanitarian aid. Add your voice to calls for ceasefire now. We may think we have no power, but we are all tiny drops that make up the ocean. www.bbc.com/news/article...

GOOD MORNING TO THE WORLD CUP CHAMPION PARAMATILDAS 💚💛

There is a petition to parliament open now on this issue. Please sign and share. www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/...

There has to be a better system, cost $7000 all up to get a diagnosis of my lad, and finally get him on meds 10 months later. And we were lucky cause we managed to get a cancelled appointment with ADHD psych, and also, I had the $

Richard Flanagan wins Baillie Gifford but turns down $97,000 prize money due to sponsor's fossil fuel ties