Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Tuesday 22 March
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
Medical professionals and patients agree, on the whole, that our healthcare system should be compassionate and patient-focused – but whether we’re meeting our own standards is a whole other question.
In this discussion, we’ll explore the idea of compassionate healthcare, and consider whether we’re meeting the mark in Australia today. Can empathy for patients be taught to medical students, or is empathy something that can’t be taught at all? Can bureaucratic and staffing obstacles create a crueller healthcare system? How much waste is in our system, and how might money be better spent to deliver the level of care that professionals want to provide – and that patients deserve?
Join 7.30 reporter and Question Time host Madeleine Morris for a full hour of Q&A on the present and future of Australian healthcare. Madeleine will be joined by medical oncologist Ranjana Srivastava, Lucy Cuddihy (head of nursing and midwifery at Barwon Health), and mental health advocate Kate Richards.
Featuring
Kate Richards
Kate Richards is a writer of fiction, narrative nonfiction and poetry. She has a medical degree with honours and works part-time in medical research in Melbourne. Kate is the author of the critically acclaimed Madness: a memoir and the Penguin Special Is there no place for me?
Lucy Cuddihy
Lucy Cuddihy was appointed to the position of Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer at Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria in 2005 and has an Adjunct Professorial appointment with Deakin University, School of Nursing.
She has been invited to participate in a number of expert advisory panels in the Department of Health and Human Services, is appointed to the Victorian Health Service Review Council, serves on advisory boards with Deakin University and is a member of the Board of Directors of Barwon, Child, Youth and Family Services.
Lucy completed a Doctor of Nursing at La Trobe University, Melbourne in 2005 and has graduate qualifications in advanced nursing practice from Lincoln Institute Health Sciences. She also holds a Graduate Diploma of Management in Organisational Change and Development and a Master of Business from RMIT.
As part of her current appointment, she has executive responsibility for Clinical Education & Training, Library & Volunteer and Pastoral Care Services. In addition, she has responsibility for leadership of the nursing and midwifery professions and the development of nursing research and scholarship in Barwon Health.
Ranjana Srivastava
Dr Ranjana Srivastava is an oncologist, Fulbright scholar and award-winning author. She is a Walkley Award finalist for her columns on medicine and humanity in the Guardian.
Her honours include the Human Rights Literature Prize and a medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution the field of doctor-patient communication. Her latest book is called A Better Death: Conversations about the Art of Living and Dying Well.
Madeleine Morris
Madeleine Morris is a Melbourne-based reporter for ABC television’s 7.30. She was formerly a presenter for the BBC in London and reported from dozens of countries before returning to her native Australia. She is the author of Guilt-Free Bottle-Feeding: Why Your Formula-Fed Baby Can Grow Up To Be Happy, Healthy and Smart, published by Finch.