110: Ged Kearney on Investing in Women's Health
110: Ged Kearney on Investing in Women's Health
Delve into an exciting new era for women's health in Australia, highlighted by a $573.3 million investment. Join my conversation with Ged K…
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Dear Menopause
Feb. 27, 2025

110: Ged Kearney on Investing in Women's Health

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Dear Menopause

Delve into an exciting new era for women's health in Australia, highlighted by a $573.3 million investment. 

Join my conversation with Ged Kearney, the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, who passionately shares insights from her extensive background in nursing and women's health advocacy. 

As we explore the various components of this funding package, Ged discusses critical advancements aimed at transforming menopause care, addressing gender disparities in the health system, and fostering community awareness about healthcare needs.

We unpack the elimination of barriers related to long-acting contraceptives, funding for additional endometriosis, pelvic pain and menopause clinics, and the emphasis on educating healthcare professionals to provide better perimenopause and menopause care for women. 

This episode offers a deep look into the shifts occurring within healthcare policy and the need for comprehensive support services designed for women navigating challenges in their midlife health. 

Don't miss the chance to learn more about how these initiatives can empower women across the nation and how your vote at election time can secure this support.

To be part of the conversation, subscribe, share this episode, and join my mission to raise awareness around women's menopausal health.

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Chapters

00:12 - Welcome to Dear Menopause

02:17 - Introduction to Ged Kearney

12:54 - Ged's Background and Journey

02:48:53 - Overview of the Women’s Health Package

07:07:29 - Expanding Care for Menopause

08:13:12 - Importance of Awareness Campaigns

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.119 --> 00:00:02.169
Welcome to this episode of Dear Menopause.

00:00:02.169 --> 00:00:07.988
I am delighted to be joined today by Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney.

00:00:07.988 --> 00:00:08.771
Welcome, Ged.

00:00:09.140 --> 00:00:10.144
Thank you so much.

00:00:10.144 --> 00:00:11.728
I'm very excited to be on your show.

00:00:12.060 --> 00:00:12.541
Thank you.

00:00:12.541 --> 00:00:24.167
Now, Ged, we have a very big, meaty issue that we're here to talk about today, but how about we get the ball rolling with you giving our listeners today a little introduction into who Ged Kearney is?

00:00:24.608 --> 00:00:28.385
Well, I am a grandma and two, six beautiful grandchildren.

00:00:28.385 --> 00:00:33.661
I am a mum of four kids and two beautiful stepchildren, two gorgeous stepdaughters.

00:00:33.661 --> 00:00:35.685
I am a nurse by background.

00:00:35.685 --> 00:00:48.386
I worked as a nurse for nearly 20 years, spent most of my working life at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne For any of your Melbourne visitors, they'll know the Austin Hospital and I became head of the Nurses' Union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation.

00:00:48.386 --> 00:01:04.950
Then I was asked to run as president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, which was a big job, and then I was asked to run for public office, which I did, and won the seat of what was called Batman.

00:01:04.950 --> 00:01:12.543
Then it's now the seat of Hooper here in Melbourne in the inner north and an electorate that I adore and love, and it's a great part of my job.

00:01:12.543 --> 00:01:20.176
And now I don't know how it happens sometimes, but now I'm an assistant minister for health and aged care and First Nations health.

00:01:20.176 --> 00:01:22.986
It's one of those things where you pinch yourself and you think, wow.

00:01:23.167 --> 00:01:29.207
I was going to say you had this like beautiful look of surprise on your face as you were about to say that, as if you really don't know how you got here.

00:01:29.388 --> 00:01:34.912
No, no, I often you know the movie Forrest Gump I often think, oh, it's just a bit of a Forrest Gump thing.

00:01:34.912 --> 00:01:36.987
But you know, as women we do that, don't we?

00:01:36.987 --> 00:01:45.742
We self-deprec hard.

00:01:45.763 --> 00:01:48.817
I have worked hard all my life and I'm really quite I'm secretly quite proud of myself.

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I think you should absolutely be proud of yourself and I don't think we need to keep it a secret.

00:01:53.067 --> 00:01:53.992
So congratulations on an incredible career.

00:01:53.992 --> 00:02:03.784
And you know, you've obviously been someone that has been very invested in women's health, but also women's issues, you know, from an advocacy perspective as well for a very long time, for a very long time.

00:02:04.265 --> 00:02:25.493
When I was first elected and got this role, I was asked to take up women's health because I have been a great advocate for women's health pretty much all my working life and have been able to see that there is bias in the health system, gender bias, which is, you know it's not to say that anyone cuts women out or is out to not give women the best care they can, because I'm a health professional myself and I know people work very hard.

00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:32.911
It's just that the system itself has been built over hundreds and hundreds of years by men for men and about men.

00:02:32.911 --> 00:02:35.981
Of course, more recently we're seeing more and more health professionals and women.

00:02:35.981 --> 00:02:40.088
More and more doctors in particular are women and we have more women in policymaking positions.

00:02:40.088 --> 00:03:13.268
We're elevating those female-dominated health professions like nursing and midwifery and allied health, and I think it's all a perfect time for me to come along and really advance the issue of women's health care and how we need to do a lot to make sure that women that bias is is is stopped and worked on yeah, absolutely, and that leads us beautifully into one of the reasons that we're here today, which is to talk about the biggest announcement impacting women's health in Australia that, from my perspective, we've seen for quite some time, and that is the half a billion dollar package that was announced on the 9th of February.

00:03:13.307 --> 00:03:14.891
So, first and foremost, thank you.

00:03:16.540 --> 00:03:31.542
You're welcome, and I should thank you because it's advocates like your wonderful self who have really pushed this to the fore and made it an issue that has got a lot of groundswell of support, and so really, I flew on your coattails in many ways, so thank you.

00:03:31.641 --> 00:03:32.002
Oh goodness.

00:03:32.002 --> 00:03:33.206
Well, thank you very much for that.

00:03:33.206 --> 00:03:34.980
But it's a collaborative effort, isn't it?

00:03:34.980 --> 00:03:50.484
And just goes to show the importance of voices at all levels, from someone like myself who's at grassroots, you know, considers herself to literally just be the voice of those that don't feel that they have or know how to use a voice, to someone like yourself who is in that position to actually really make a considerable change.

00:03:50.484 --> 00:03:54.652
It is a team effort, yeah, always.

00:03:54.652 --> 00:04:02.730
Now, Jed, I think it'd be really nice if you could give us a quick overview of the package that was announced.

00:04:02.730 --> 00:04:03.673
I do have a question.

00:04:03.673 --> 00:04:11.248
It's a question that's come through from listeners consistently since the package was announced that I'll ask you off the back of that and then we'll dive into some more of the details.

00:04:11.569 --> 00:04:16.324
Okay, well, I should give a little bit of background to this package.

00:04:16.324 --> 00:04:23.447
You know, we have coming up to the end of the three-year term and I've been working on women's health since I was appointed to this role.

00:04:23.447 --> 00:04:36.968
We appointed the National Women's Health Advisory Council, who's been helping me, and we did a national survey where two-thirds of respondents said that, as women, they felt there was bias and discrimination in the system.

00:04:36.968 --> 00:04:39.990
A lot of that was around sexual and reproductive health care.

00:04:39.990 --> 00:04:51.288
There are taboos on it, there's stigma, it's pushed into the shadows, it's not talked about, it's a secret women's business, you know, and consequently, and there's lots of other health issues for women that are not about reproductive health care.

00:04:51.288 --> 00:05:01.456
But this is one area where women really did feel disadvantaged and, as a consequence of that being not spoken about and pushed into the shadows, it wasn't a policy priority for governments past.

00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:06.562
It has been for our government and last year we announced $160 million package.

00:05:06.562 --> 00:05:15.091
It was a modest package for women while we were building up onto this big one, which is now $573.3 million package.

00:05:15.091 --> 00:05:17.377
It's more than half a billion dollars.

00:05:17.377 --> 00:05:18.980
This is a huge investment.

00:05:18.980 --> 00:05:20.545
It's in a couple of stages.

00:05:20.545 --> 00:05:25.579
Some things happen now and some things will happen on the re-election of a labor government.

00:05:25.579 --> 00:05:31.826
I am pleased to say that the liberal government has said they will commit to implementing this, and jolly well if they win the election.

00:05:31.826 --> 00:05:33.252
I hope they do.

00:05:33.252 --> 00:05:37.444
You know that this was a big labor priority and it is a labor reform.

00:05:37.444 --> 00:05:43.841
Having said all that, we announced 169.2 million dollars to make it easier for women.

00:05:43.841 --> 00:05:48.213
And I'll start one, and I know you want to talk about menopause, but I'll say the whole thing yeah sure.

00:05:50.062 --> 00:06:01.014
For long-acting reversible contraceptives commonly known as LARCs your listeners will know them as IUDs and Implanon, you know yeah implants, implants.

00:06:02.002 --> 00:06:05.290
So these have been very expensive for women in Australia Don't know why.

00:06:05.290 --> 00:06:11.250
The rest of the world has gone way ahead of us and we know they're extremely effective contraceptive.

00:06:11.250 --> 00:06:12.845
They're also very good for menopause treatment.

00:06:12.845 --> 00:06:22.160
For some symptoms of menopause, it cost a woman on average $400 to $500 to have an IUD inserted, which made it a huge barrier for women.

00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:27.406
We're cutting that cost, so we're removing that cost of insertion and removal.

00:06:27.406 --> 00:06:31.766
We're going to give doctors GPs a lot more money to do that and so hopefully they will every woman.

00:06:31.766 --> 00:06:35.240
They should not really need to pay because we are reimbursing doctors enough.

00:06:35.641 --> 00:06:46.882
64.5 million is being invested for high quality models of care for endometriosis and pelvic pain, and we have endometriosis and pelvic pain and we have endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics right around the country.

00:06:46.882 --> 00:06:47.944
There's 22 of them.

00:06:47.944 --> 00:06:59.732
We're going to increase that to 33 and they're not only just going to be for endometriosis and pelvic pain, they will be for menopause and perimenopause care, so we will have that expertise there.

00:06:59.732 --> 00:07:01.396
I can talk a bit more about that later.

00:07:01.396 --> 00:07:03.642
Sonia, great things are happening around that.

00:07:03.642 --> 00:07:13.026
There will be a new health assessment item on the MBS for women to sit down with their GP and talk about menopause, and I think that will be great.

00:07:13.026 --> 00:07:23.047
It's not very often that we get a new MBS item number, I promise you, so this is really fantastic and there'll be long consults and a woman can have them every year.

00:07:23.267 --> 00:07:36.867
There will be and I know this is something that you will be very pleased about there will be $12.8 million for a public health campaign to raise awareness and increase understanding of menopause and perimenopause, the symptoms, the management options.

00:07:36.867 --> 00:07:38.524
You know what I'm really interested in?

00:07:38.524 --> 00:07:46.463
Empowering women to know their bodies and know what's normal and know what to talk to their health practitioners about, maybe even talk to your boss.

00:07:46.463 --> 00:07:54.130
So you've got facts and figures and you can talk to boss and make the workplace a bit better or just bring it out of that secret women's business shadows.

00:07:54.130 --> 00:07:54.940
I think would be great.

00:07:54.940 --> 00:07:59.661
We're going to have nationally consistent guidelines for menopause, believe it or not?

00:07:59.661 --> 00:08:02.730
Hallelujah, hallelujah, can you believe it?

00:08:02.730 --> 00:08:10.449
And there's lots of other money being put in place to train our health professionals in helping women with menopause and perimenopause.

00:08:10.449 --> 00:08:12.723
So that's sort of in a nutshell.

00:08:12.723 --> 00:08:13.887
And, of course, what did I forget?

00:08:13.906 --> 00:08:14.569
And the PBS?

00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:17.245
PBS Holy moly, holy moly.

00:08:17.747 --> 00:08:20.213
Three, don't worry, I wasn't going to let you miss that one.

00:08:20.500 --> 00:08:31.773
Two new contraceptive pills will go on the PBS from the 1st of March and three of the most commonly used hormone therapies will be on the PBS Estrogel, prometrium and Estrogel Pro.

00:08:31.773 --> 00:08:34.443
Whoa, at last you know it's 20 years.

00:08:34.443 --> 00:08:36.609
Hormone therapy has been put on the PBS.

00:08:36.609 --> 00:08:37.572
Can you believe it?

00:08:37.572 --> 00:08:46.168
And I'm really excited about this People come up to me and say oh my God, I've been dying to smother myself in Estrogel for so long and now I can afford it.

00:08:46.970 --> 00:08:47.331
Oh my gosh.

00:08:49.816 --> 00:08:51.178
No, don't do that, we should be fine.

00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:51.980
No, don't.

00:08:51.980 --> 00:08:54.886
Okay, that is not medical advice.

00:08:54.886 --> 00:08:55.937
Please don't listen to us.

00:08:55.937 --> 00:09:10.067
They're all amazing, amazing, wonderful announcements, and I know myself and a huge cohort of advocates were absolutely delighted when we received the information the night before that the announcement was made and we were all so incredibly excited.

00:09:10.067 --> 00:09:13.884
There are a couple of things in there that I do want to kind of deep dive into with you in a minute.

00:09:13.884 --> 00:09:21.385
Now you did kind of touch on this question and you may not be able to expand any further, but I'm going to ask it so that I don't feel like I'm letting my listeners down.

00:09:21.385 --> 00:09:25.746
And that is, these announcements have all been made by yourself, the Labor government.

00:09:25.746 --> 00:09:27.658
You've made that clear right at the beginning.

00:09:27.658 --> 00:09:38.280
We did see immediately, thankfully which was great news on the day, that the opposition did come out and show bipartisan support for that, which is absolutely wonderful.

00:09:38.280 --> 00:09:47.298
But what you know, does that really mean you know what could happen if there is a change of government with this package, and it's a really good question.

00:09:47.580 --> 00:09:51.080
You know Labor governments by and large are governments of reform.

00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:54.129
We are governments that really believe in public health.

00:09:54.129 --> 00:09:58.100
We implemented Medicare over three or four times.

00:09:58.100 --> 00:10:01.698
Each time there was a conservative government they tried to strip Medicare away.

00:10:01.698 --> 00:10:08.081
Peter Dutton himself tried to do away with bulk billing by putting cash registers in EDs and making you pay to go to the GP.

00:10:08.100 --> 00:10:17.009
like getting rid of bulk billing and so we were always a little bit worried about healthcare and Medicare when a coalition government is elected.

00:10:17.009 --> 00:10:21.547
Peter Dutton has said that he wants to find $350 billion worth of savings.

00:10:21.547 --> 00:10:25.004
We're not quite sure where those savings are going to come from, he hasn't said.

00:10:25.004 --> 00:10:27.701
But you know, this is, I think, this for me.

00:10:27.701 --> 00:10:29.245
That's the political bit.

00:10:29.245 --> 00:10:30.558
We are coming up to an election.

00:10:30.558 --> 00:10:32.104
Pop that bit in.

00:10:32.124 --> 00:10:32.465
Is that box?

00:10:32.894 --> 00:10:34.118
I just think that we are coming up to an election Pop.

00:10:34.118 --> 00:10:40.596
That bit in the bit for me really is you know, sonia, this is what happens when you have women in government we have.

00:10:40.596 --> 00:10:48.726
50% of our parliament are women, half of our cabinet, 50% of our cabinet, is women, are women, is women.

00:10:48.726 --> 00:10:55.375
There's 50% we have, you know, and when you have women at the table, you get policy change like this.

00:10:55.375 --> 00:11:00.217
You know, this is why we're investing in child care, investing in aged care, investing in medicare.

00:11:00.217 --> 00:11:08.995
These are things that women bring to the table, and I think that this is really indicative of the fact that we work this policy up for three years, and the coalition has hasn't been a priority.

00:11:08.995 --> 00:11:13.721
We haven't seen anything from them and I think they got a bit of a shock when we announced this fabulous policy.

00:11:13.721 --> 00:11:21.421
They saw the response from you, from Australia's women, and they thought crikey duh who would have thunk that women would be happy?

00:11:21.682 --> 00:11:22.263
Who would have thunk?

00:11:22.524 --> 00:11:23.285
Yeah exactly.

00:11:24.095 --> 00:11:33.721
So I guess the takeaway from that really is if you want these packages to not just be kind of kicked to the curb because there is a change of government, Don't allow there to be a change of government.

00:11:34.302 --> 00:11:42.042
No that's my basic take Absolutely and I'm saying this in a very partisan manner, but no, you know we came up with the package.

00:11:42.042 --> 00:11:43.849
I am committed to this package.

00:11:43.849 --> 00:11:48.102
It is a revolutionary idea that has come from the Labor Party.

00:11:48.102 --> 00:11:53.138
Really, only the Labor Party will, absolutely 100% deliver it, implement.

00:11:53.357 --> 00:11:54.682
Yeah, fantastic, great, thank you.

00:11:54.682 --> 00:11:55.897
Thank you for addressing that.

00:11:55.897 --> 00:12:00.256
So one of the first areas that I'd really like to dive into a little bit with is the.

00:12:00.256 --> 00:12:05.508
You made mention of the currently existing 22 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics.

00:12:05.508 --> 00:12:14.585
You announced that you will be expanding those by 11, plus the expanding the remit of those to include menopause and perimenopause care, which is fantastic.

00:12:14.585 --> 00:12:17.059
Where will those 33 be located?

00:12:17.059 --> 00:12:23.100
Is there going to be equitable access to those four women, regardless of where they're located?

00:12:23.701 --> 00:12:27.368
Sure, at the moment we've been doing it by PHN.

00:12:27.368 --> 00:12:34.605
I'm not sure if your listeners will know what a PHN is, but it's a primary healthcare network and these are Australia's been broken up, if you like, into healthcare areas.

00:12:34.605 --> 00:12:37.548
And there's a primary healthcare network and these are Australia's been broken up, if you like, into healthcare areas.

00:12:37.548 --> 00:12:47.505
And you know there's a large state and a highly populated state like New South Wales will have several PHNs, and South Australia has two PHNs.

00:12:47.505 --> 00:12:56.544
So in the first instance, we want a clinic in every single PHN so that women do not have to travel far.

00:12:56.544 --> 00:13:06.488
Now I would love one on every corner if you are, but you know constraints mean that I think we started off with 22.

00:13:06.815 --> 00:13:18.923
Another 11 is a commitment that we believe they work and that they are an important part of our health infrastructure, and we are really committed to trying our health infrastructure and we are really committed to trying to help women, and so I think these are a great start.

00:13:18.923 --> 00:13:32.360
If people say, oh, we're a bit disappointed that there's not one near me and I would totally understand that what I will say is there's something wonderful happening is that with endometriosis and pelvic pain, there's a community of practice.

00:13:32.360 --> 00:13:35.227
So those 22 endoclinics meet regularly.

00:13:35.227 --> 00:13:54.624
They discuss, you know, case studies, they talk what's working, what's not working, they talk about new ideas and research, they generate research, and so this community of excellence, if you like, around endometriosis and pelvic pain care is developing out of them and they are educating our primary healthcare professionals more broadly.

00:13:54.845 --> 00:14:01.437
So, I think you know that's what I'm loving.

00:14:01.437 --> 00:14:03.100
And eventually, let's face it, we shouldn't really have specialist clinics.

00:14:03.100 --> 00:14:06.879
Every woman should walk into every private primary healthcare facility and get the best care they possibly can.

00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:08.702
We know that doesn't happen now.

00:14:08.702 --> 00:14:12.440
Ultimately, that would be my aim to do away with these specialty clinics.

00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:17.948
Everybody would know about it so, but in the meantime, we're starting with these ones okay, amazing.

00:14:18.149 --> 00:14:19.998
And they don't provide a telehealth service, do they?

00:14:19.998 --> 00:14:24.475
It is literally just an in-person appointment no, I think they do provide telehealth.

00:14:24.674 --> 00:14:28.985
Okay, all right, cool, no, no, yep, definitely um fantastic.

00:14:28.985 --> 00:14:34.323
Well, that's good news then yeah, no, the beauty of them is that they respond to community needs.

00:14:34.323 --> 00:14:35.706
Yeah, okay great.

00:14:35.726 --> 00:14:40.647
So they have the flexibility to offer what they feel is going to best serve their community.

00:14:40.647 --> 00:14:41.676
Okay, fantastic.

00:14:41.676 --> 00:14:56.518
So when we expand the remit of those clinics and we start bringing in the menopause and the perimenopause care, does that mean that you are bringing in menopause and perimenopause specialist GPs or nurses, or however you're planning to do that, into the centres?

00:14:56.518 --> 00:14:59.947
Like, are you upping the staff or is it an upskilling of the existing staff?

00:15:00.274 --> 00:15:01.701
Okay, great question.

00:15:01.701 --> 00:15:14.649
So the model that we have from the endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, which is similar to what we'll use, we put out a tender and we say to primary healthcare providers a number of questions Do you have experts already in these areas?

00:15:14.649 --> 00:15:19.323
And some gp specialists nurse practitioners, midwives are already experts.

00:15:19.323 --> 00:15:26.265
So they will say yes, we do, and we would like extra resources to employ a larger multidisciplinary team.

00:15:26.265 --> 00:15:33.384
And so that is one model exercise physiologists, dieticians, psychologists, pain experts are all being employed.

00:15:33.624 --> 00:15:38.159
Another model is, like you said look, we don't have the expertise.

00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:47.155
We see the need in our community and we want to have some resources to upskill our staff, and this is how we're going to do that, how we're going to upskill our staff.

00:15:47.155 --> 00:15:50.344
So some of them are using the resources to get to upskill.

00:15:50.344 --> 00:15:53.725
Some are saying we have the resources now we want to expand them.

00:15:53.725 --> 00:16:07.149
So there's a couple of models happening, but I think your question about upskilling more broadly is a really important one, because we are investing a lot of money in building capacity of our health professionals to give comprehensive menopause care.

00:16:07.149 --> 00:16:13.202
There were some in the previous package last year, there's more in this package and there's online training.

00:16:13.202 --> 00:16:16.008
We're funding doctors to get to training.

00:16:16.008 --> 00:16:20.144
If they're in rural or remote areas, we're giving them scholarships to get to training.

00:16:20.144 --> 00:16:25.366
We're building national guidelines that there's consistency of care right across the country.

00:16:25.366 --> 00:16:28.245
We're offering online training, face-to-face training.

00:16:28.245 --> 00:16:31.582
We're doing our best to upskill the workforce, so it's a great.

00:16:31.623 --> 00:16:32.024
Amazing.

00:16:33.066 --> 00:16:33.648
Yeah, thank you.

00:16:35.375 --> 00:16:45.835
And that does also lead into one of my other questions, which is very much along the lines of that absolute need for the education and upskilling and obviously you're aware of that was a big part of the announcement that was made.

00:16:45.835 --> 00:17:00.355
One of my questions around that, you know, that really huge need to upskill, just as our gps, very first and foremost, regardless of before we get out into specialist clinics and things like that, because they are the first port of call for many, many women.

00:17:00.355 --> 00:17:13.823
And they are the point where I hear every day and we do hear stories and other mediums as well where that is the first place where women are dismissed, where they are let down, where they really feel that they're not being heard and not supported.

00:17:13.823 --> 00:17:27.907
So, when it comes to the retraining for want of a better expression but the upskilling, the education, filling that education gap that we know exists, who will be providing that training?

00:17:27.907 --> 00:17:30.461
Is that something that will also be going out to tender?

00:17:30.461 --> 00:17:33.178
Are there existing providers that you'll be tapping into?

00:17:33.178 --> 00:17:35.797
How does that kind of start playing out?

00:17:36.519 --> 00:17:39.345
Well, we have some existing programs already.

00:17:39.345 --> 00:17:45.445
So Jean Hales, for example, jean Hales for Women's Health runs an online training program for menopause care.

00:17:45.445 --> 00:17:47.898
So they will be providing some of that.

00:17:47.898 --> 00:17:50.064
As I said, some of it will be in scholarships.

00:17:50.064 --> 00:17:58.240
We will be looking to the Australian Menopause Society perhaps, or you know other organisations with skills to offer their services.

00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:02.148
There will be a tender process, you know, for that.

00:18:02.148 --> 00:18:12.125
I don't have the exact way that it's going to operate just yet, but we'll be very open to as many portals and many entry ports as we possibly can for people to get that training.

00:18:15.334 --> 00:18:27.642
One of the reasons why I was wanting to bring that up and have that conversation is if these are existing providers that have already been offering this service, yet we find ourselves in a situation where many GPs still are not educated.

00:18:27.642 --> 00:18:40.451
Obviously, there needs to be a significant overhaul of what does already exist because it's not working and bringing in, as you said, more options and ways to be able to provide that education as well.

00:18:41.434 --> 00:18:47.938
Yeah, and a lot of the barriers to doctors not attending, but they tell us they don't have time, they can't backfill their practice.

00:18:47.938 --> 00:18:56.560
There's travel costs, so we'll be providing free placements for up to about 11,000 health professionals to access training.

00:18:56.560 --> 00:19:03.941
So leave that with me and I will be able to come back to you with a lot more information when we've dug down in the detail.

00:19:03.941 --> 00:19:06.071
But I hear your point and it's a very good point.

00:19:06.292 --> 00:19:07.454
Thank you, I appreciate that.

00:19:07.454 --> 00:19:13.878
So then, when we're talking about the new health assessment that kicks in as of the 1st of July, is that right?

00:19:13.878 --> 00:19:14.840
Yep, that's right.

00:19:14.840 --> 00:19:15.912
Yep, that's exciting.

00:19:15.912 --> 00:19:20.423
So can you tell us what that actually means for someone that perhaps doesn't understand the Medicare system?

00:19:20.423 --> 00:19:23.779
What can a woman that's listening do to take advantage of that?

00:19:24.270 --> 00:19:25.634
Well, I think you can.

00:19:25.634 --> 00:19:43.864
When you ring up to make an appointment, you need to specify that I'm coming for a menopause discussion or a menopause consultation I think is probably the better word so that you're not in the six minute medicine time slot, you know, because there's not a lot you can say.

00:19:44.105 --> 00:19:46.551
So will it be a dedicated, longer appointment time.

00:19:47.133 --> 00:19:56.260
It will be a dedicated, longer appointment time and I would encourage you to, when you ring up to make an appointment, to say that that is specifically what you are coming for.

00:19:56.260 --> 00:20:03.770
It also gives if there is an expert in menopause in your primary healthcare facility you know will prompt a visit to them or with them.

00:20:03.770 --> 00:20:08.811
They might have a nurse, practitioner or someone that is specially trained up in menopause that can talk to you.

00:20:08.811 --> 00:20:12.500
You know all the things that you say.

00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:14.810
You know to your listeners all the time.

00:20:14.810 --> 00:20:20.255
Use the hour, go with your your questions, don't be even allow them to be dismissed or pushed back.

00:20:20.255 --> 00:20:27.079
Hopefully that won't happen now, because there's a lot of awareness and you're going for a menopause consultation.

00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:39.250
But I really encourage you to feel really confident that that's exactly what this is for and that you will be heard, you will be no, you won't be dismissed and you will be offered help and treatment.

00:20:39.250 --> 00:20:48.613
I think that this having it dedicated to that I think will drive a revolution in primary health care for women with menopause.

00:20:48.814 --> 00:20:49.536
It's not just yeah.

00:20:49.596 --> 00:20:50.178
I hope so.

00:20:50.178 --> 00:20:51.340
I hope so.

00:20:51.340 --> 00:20:51.971
It's not just.

00:20:51.971 --> 00:20:54.478
Oh you sure you're not distressed, I'll give you some.

00:20:54.478 --> 00:20:55.440
You know what happens.

00:20:57.289 --> 00:20:58.173
You just need a holiday.

00:20:58.574 --> 00:21:00.410
You need a holiday, that's right.

00:21:00.410 --> 00:21:02.615
Oh, all that brain fog, it'll pass.

00:21:02.615 --> 00:21:03.557
I had.

00:21:03.557 --> 00:21:11.201
I had menorrhagia, very heavy periods, really heavy periods during perimenopause and my GP says, oh, it's just menopause, it will pass.

00:21:11.201 --> 00:21:11.911
It will pass.

00:21:12.171 --> 00:21:23.732
I had a conversation, I spoke at an event on Wednesday in the city here in Sydney and I had a lady come up to me afterwards and I was talking to her and a friend and she says to me you know she goes, oh gosh, sonia, it's terrible.

00:21:23.732 --> 00:21:35.784
I've been bleeding consistently for months and my GP just keeps telling me some women in their 40s bleed and I was horrified because any unexplained bleeding must be investigated.

00:21:35.784 --> 00:21:46.596
It may not be perimenopause there are a host of things that that could be and for a GP to be as dismissive as women in their forties just sometimes bleed, I thought was absolutely atrocious.

00:21:46.977 --> 00:21:48.401
I absolutely agree with you.

00:21:48.401 --> 00:21:53.642
Please, I hope you had told that poor woman to go and get checked out, because I ended up.

00:21:53.642 --> 00:21:54.790
You know I tell this story.

00:21:54.790 --> 00:22:02.258
I don't know if you heard, but I flooded on a tram once story I don't know if you've heard but I flooded on a tram once Like I don't know if anyone has menorrhagia, but it's awful.

00:22:02.278 --> 00:22:04.680
When you get up off the tram, the seat's covered in blood.

00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:05.601
You're covered in blood.

00:22:05.601 --> 00:22:08.042
It's terrible and I thought I'm going to quit work.

00:22:08.042 --> 00:22:09.825
I can't go to work anymore.

00:22:09.825 --> 00:22:14.471
And eventually I did find a doctor that said we'd better do some blood tests.

00:22:14.471 --> 00:22:17.655
And and he said to me well, you've got a hemoglobin that is not compatible with life.

00:22:17.655 --> 00:22:23.243
I had bled so much, he said I don't know how you're standing upright.

00:22:23.545 --> 00:22:24.346
Oh, my goodness.

00:22:24.830 --> 00:22:26.635
I said crikey, what do we do about that?

00:22:26.635 --> 00:22:28.019
He said something really quick.

00:22:28.369 --> 00:22:29.132
Really quickly.

00:22:29.132 --> 00:22:38.480
Yeah Well, one of the things that she said to me when we had this conversation was I'm just so tired, I'm so fatigued, and I went, your iron will be so depleted.

00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:43.499
He should have at least offered you a test to understand where your iron levels were.

00:22:43.499 --> 00:22:47.336
So, yeah, a lot wrong with that whole conversation and I'm sorry that you had that experience.

00:22:47.336 --> 00:22:53.421
That just sounds awfully traumatic and, in the moment, must have just been something really incredible to have to experience.

00:22:53.421 --> 00:22:54.935
I'm not the only one, I'm sure.

00:22:54.935 --> 00:23:00.221
No, jed, I know I have another example of a girlfriend who had that exact situation in a board meeting.

00:23:00.221 --> 00:23:10.363
So, oh, public transport board meeting, they're just awful places to have to deal with these situations.

00:23:10.363 --> 00:23:18.878
But, yes, it happens, unfortunately, and that's why we're here and that can bring us beautifully into the awareness campaign that you have earmarked some amazing funds for.

00:23:18.878 --> 00:23:21.278
So is that something that will be out to tender?

00:23:21.278 --> 00:23:25.898
Should we be encouraging some amazing creative agencies out there to start getting their thinking caps on?

00:23:26.221 --> 00:23:28.289
Again, we haven't put the parameters around this.

00:23:28.289 --> 00:23:45.820
There's $12.8 million for this, so it's not a small amount of money, and I'll be sitting down with the department and we will be working out exactly how we're going to do that, how we're going to include great organisations that I know, who are out there who could help with this or create this or do this.

00:23:45.820 --> 00:23:51.803
Unfortunately, sonia, I haven't got the details to tell you, but Do you know what I'm thinking, Jed?

00:23:51.931 --> 00:23:56.077
I think we're going to have to come back post-election and revisit this conversation.

00:24:00.650 --> 00:24:01.915
I will come back, jed will even I'll give you a little text when.

00:24:01.935 --> 00:24:02.317
I know a little bit.

00:24:02.317 --> 00:24:02.640
So how's that?

00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:30.575
From my very personal experience, the information that I shared at the Senate inquiry, the conversations I've had with Senator Mariel and Senator Larissa, and one of the things that made me so happy when the report was handed down from the Senate inquiry, was the suggestion of an awareness campaign, but within that, for it to include lived experience, because we must must hear the voices of the lived experience, because that is where a true awareness really does kind of start having a big impact.

00:24:30.896 --> 00:24:32.281
I couldn't agree with you more.

00:24:32.281 --> 00:24:34.369
I could not agree with you more Absolutely.

00:24:34.369 --> 00:24:40.112
I mean the stories we heard in the senate inquiry and all kudos to senators smith and waters.

00:24:40.112 --> 00:24:51.050
It was amazing was some of it was heartbreaking, like when you read the reports um women's marriages breaking up and giving up work and just some of it was really pretty full of.

00:24:51.050 --> 00:24:56.251
But yeah, I agree with you because you know women may not identify that that's what's happening to them, you know.

00:24:56.251 --> 00:25:02.545
So if you hear the personal stories people go, oh, hang on a minute, that's me, you know yeah.

00:25:02.904 --> 00:25:03.487
I've got that.

00:25:03.487 --> 00:25:05.691
Maybe I'm having perimenopause problems.

00:25:05.691 --> 00:25:13.676
You know it's so important to hear other people's experiences so you feel included, you don't feel isolated and you have an awareness of what's happening in your body.

00:25:13.758 --> 00:25:16.113
It's so great so, yeah, and it takes a while.

00:25:16.113 --> 00:25:16.515
Oh, thank you, it was.

00:25:16.515 --> 00:25:17.157
You know, absolutely my pleasure.

00:25:17.157 --> 00:25:17.982
It's so great, yeah, and it takes a while.

00:25:17.982 --> 00:25:18.384
Oh, thank you, it was.

00:25:18.384 --> 00:25:19.349
You know, absolutely my pleasure.

00:25:19.349 --> 00:25:31.316
Any opportunity that I get to to be able to share my story, but also know that that's impacting everybody down the line, and particularly the changes that we are going to make now that will impact the generations that come behind us.

00:25:31.316 --> 00:25:33.241
Jed, thank you so much for your time today.

00:25:33.241 --> 00:25:36.840
Was there anything else that you wanted to talk about or anything you want to leave us with?

00:25:37.269 --> 00:25:44.538
Again, just say thank you to you and to everybody who have really kept this issue alive and who gave evidence of the inquiry.

00:25:44.538 --> 00:25:52.340
We couldn't have done it without you all, and I just feel part of a really amazing community of women that have really pushed so hard for this, so thank you.