Brian Owler

Professor Brian K Owler is an Australian neurosurgeon who was elected as president of the Australian Medical Association in May 2014 — just after the release of a controversial budget by the Abbott Government which included elements that, if passed, would have introduced patient co-payments for general practice services and cut funding to public hospitals and Indigenous health programs.[1] Owler has opposed the Abbott government's Medicare copayment.[2][3][4] Closer to home, this budget also denied funding to establish the Australasian Shunt Registry which was developed by Owler in order to address the relatively high rate of device-related complications in the management of hydrocephalus.[5]

Owler holds the position of Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School (also known as Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children), University of Sydney. He operates on paediatric and adult conditions in several Sydney hospitals, including Westmead Hospital, Sydney Adventist Hospital and Macquarie University Hospital.[6]

Prof Owler is involved in several clinical studies including those on the topic of normal pressure hydrocephalus and deep brain stimulation surgery for the treatment of cerebral palsy. He has co-authored more than 40 academic papers.[7] He has also written several opinion pieces for leading Australian papers[8] and online media.[9]

Prof Owler is a driving force and the face of the NSW 'Don’t Rush' anti-speeding campaign,[10] and has appeared on billboards and in television ads warning of the risks and damage associated with road accidents. This advocacy arose from discussions with the relevant state minister while Owler was president of the NSW branch of the Australian Medical Association.[11]

In 2015, The Medical Journal of Australia removed professor Stephen Leeder, formerly the journal's editor-in-chief after he criticised the decision to outsource production of the journal to the global publishing giant Elsevier.[12] All but one of the AMJ's editorial advisory committee resigned following the decision to sack Leeder, and wrote to Owler asking him to review the decision.[13][14]

In May 2015 Owler criticised a Federal Government plan to assist Curtin University open a medical school for undergraduates, arguing that medical students struggle to find internships or specialist training places.[15][16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Brian Owler elected AMA president". Australian Medical Association. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  2. ↑ Kirsten Lawson (26 May 2014). "New AMA president Brian Owler vows to pressure government on $7 co-payment". Sydney Morning Herald.
  3. ↑ "GP co-payment was 'poorly designed policy', says AMA President Brian Owler". ABC News Radio. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  4. ↑ Michelle Grattan (3 March 2015). "Medicare co-payment: a case study in policy implosion". The Conversation.
  5. ↑ Kerrie O’Connor. "Hydrocephalus sufferers shunted on funding for a national register of operations". Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  6. ↑ Brian Owler. "Practice". Retrieved 2014-10-20.
  7. ↑ "Publications". Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  8. ↑ Brian Owler. "Children take fall for society's dithering". Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  9. ↑ Brian Owler. "Will Ebola be the West's next big regret?". Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  10. ↑ "Original Don't Rush". Roads & Maritime Services. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  11. ↑ "Sunday Profile: Brian Owler, Australian Medical Association president". ABC Radio National. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
  12. ↑ "Backlash over decision by Australia's top medical journal to outsource to company with history of 'unethical' behaviour". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "Medical journal editor sacked and editorial committee resigns". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "Medical Journal of Australia will be shunned by researchers after editor sacked, academic says". The Guardian. 4 May 2015.
  15. ↑ "Tony Abbott branded 'Captain Chaos' over medical school plan". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 May 2015.
  16. ↑ "Joe Hockey fires back at the AMA's Brian Owler". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 May 2015.
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