Veterans body enlists doctors to eliminate health barriers

RSL QUEENSLAND and the Australian Medical Association Queensland have announced a key initiative to improve the healthcare of veterans across the state.

The two peak organisations have formed an official partnership to ensure better access to health care for the 191,000 current and former Australian Defence Force personnel living in Queensland as well as their families. The announcement comes as the nation marks Veterans’ Health Week.

RSL Queensland Veteran Services manager Robert Skoda said the face of veterans was changing and it was vital to keep pace with their health needs and issues.

“This is an opportunity for us to promote the GPs and specialist practitioners who have an interest and understanding of the ADF,” he said.

“In the short term, we will be providing education and training among the RSL and AMAQ … and in the medium term we will be taking that information into the public space, which we have already been discussing.”

Australian Medical Association Queensland Far North Queensland representative, Townsville GP and Royal Australian Air Force veteran Dr Michael Clements, said the city had a proud garrison history so it was an im- portant a partnership launched here.

“There are a lot of challenges for veterans once they discharge,” he said.

“We want to help GPs recognise seemingly non- military related complaints may actually be rooted in something deeper like underlying PTSD which needs to be revealed, and help with other aspects of providing care to children and partners of ADF members.” like this was