David Maddison Lecturer asks who gets to shape our future

Monday 14 November 2005

The rural GP and medical education academic who was responsible for guiding many recent changes to improve health services for people in rural areas will deliver the University of Newcastle’s 2005 David Maddison Lecture this week.

Dr Sue Page, who has just completed her two year term as President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA), is passionate about the need for better health outcomes for people in rural and remote Australia and for Indigenous Australians.

She will examine why there remains 'substantial and systematic health inequities that cannot be explained by individual make-up or behaviour' (RACP 2005), despite Australia's high overall international ranking for health outcomes such as life-expectancy and mortality rates.

Dr Page will address how new models of care, of financing and of health workforce development might reduce the inequities in health outcomes.

Dr Page, who graduated in Medicine from the University of Newcastle in 1986, is a member of the Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee, the NSW Health Care Advisory Committee and the NSW Rural Health Taskforce. She is Chair of the Area Health Advisory Council of the North Coast Area Health Service.

Professor David Maddison was the Foundation Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Newcastle.

The David Maddison Lecture was established to commemorate his contributions to health education and the University of Newcastle. He led a revolution in medical education in Australia that started in 1978 when the University of Newcastle admitted its first cohort of medical students.

What: 2005 David Maddison Lecture. Dr Sue Page will present ‘Who gets to shape our future: The Workforce, Politics and Market Forces that drive Health Outcomes’.

When: 7pm on Tuesday 15 November 2005.

Where: The University of Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, Auckland St, Newcastle.

This is a free public event. Please RSVP to Kyla Stevenson on (02) 4921 7776 or Kyla.Stevenson@newcastle.edu.au.

For interviews with Dr Sue Page contact Professor Michael Hensley, Head of the School of Medicine and Public Health, on (02) 4921 7776 or 0408 979 030.