Writer
Kim Oates
Kim Oates is an Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics, a former CEO of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, a former President of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and an elected Founding member, International Academy of Quality and Safety.
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Professionalism and compassion in healthcare
We don’t have to take off our compassion, or our ability to show it, when we drape a stethoscope around our neck. The need for doctors to be professional is not synonymous with being emotionless. Continue reading »
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Bringing Australian children here from Syrian refugee camps is just the start
Our government is doing the right thing. But bringing Australian children in Syria to Australia without an individualised long-term plan of support for each child will achieve little. The complexity of the task to help these children must not be underestimated. It will be a long process and a long-term investment, but it will be Continue reading »
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Children suffer the most in war
The nightly television coverage of the war in Ukraine is increasingly bleak. We see a distraught mother who has lost all her possessions. The camera moves to her three-year-old daughter in a pink coat, playing while her mother speaks. She seems happy enough. We are tempted to think ‘At least the children are OK’. But Continue reading »
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We aren’t just laggards in Covid immunisation
I recently watched the superb film “Jimmy Carter, Rock & Roll President”. It is available on SBS. It’s not about politics. It’s about the man. Watch it, enjoy the fabulous music and interviews with the music legends he befriended. Then weep. Weep for a time when honesty, integrity, self-effacement, and sincere humility were the consistent Continue reading »
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Australian government’s refusal to recognise 2017 Nobel Peace Prize winners a stain on decency
On 22 January, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will put nuclear weapons in the same category as other banned inhumane weapons including biologic and chemical weapons, cluster bombs and antipersonnel land mines. This was largely the work of ICAN, the International Campaign Against Nuclear Arms. Continue reading »
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Let’s all shout out for our nurses in 2021
During COVID-19, it is the nurses who are predominantly in the front line. Doctors can come into a ward, see patients and then move on. The nurses stay there. They are the ones most exposed to infection. They put their lives on the line. And they are true professionals, to be valued and respected. Let’s Continue reading »
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In this pandemic, children will suffer far more than we realise
We are told, quite correctly, that one of the few bright spots of the Covid-19 pandemic is that children are at significantly lower risk of being infected, and less likely to have a severe illness should they become infected. But this is only part of the story. Continue reading »
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KIM OATES. Anxiety and the Etiquette of Walking
When we meet people walking towards us, have you noticed how anxious many look? Anxiety can be damaging to mental health. What can we do to help reduce damaging anxiety? Continue reading »
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KIM OATES.-COVID-19. Good news and bad news for children
There is good news for most children and bad news for some in this pandemic. Unlike most epidemics, where those at both ends of the age spectrum are more likely to succumb, the good news is that we are seeing a smaller proportion of deaths and infections in children. Continue reading »
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KIM OATES. Ten questions patients should ask their doctor.
Although patients are the people who have the best knowledge of themselves and their particular concerns and who obviously have a strong interest in achieving a good outcome, they are often reluctant to ask their doctor questions. Continue reading »
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KIM OATES. An insidious tragedy
Imagine what would happen if a fully laden 747 airliner crashed in Australia every week for a whole year. There would be public outcry, an outrage, swift political action and an enquiry at the highest level, possibly a Royal Commission. Continue reading »
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KIM OATES. If we listened to children the world would be a better place
Last week was National Children’s week, with a theme that children’s views and opinions should be respected, that they have a right to be heard. Continue reading »
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KIM OATES. Viewpoint: “Always say something positive about the child” (Berry Brazelton 1918-2018)
Over 40 years ago, I was fortunate to do some of my paediatric training with Berry Brazelton. He wasn’t famous then, but there was something about him that set him apart from the purely organic focus of most of the senior staff at Boston Children’s Hospital. He was interested in babies as individuals with their Continue reading »
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KIM OATES. The Royal Commission, a beginning, not an end.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is testament to both the evil in our society and to the courage and determination of many of the victims. But we need to be aware that most child sexual abuse occurs in places other than churches and institutions. Continue reading »
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KIM OATES. Infections in healthcare: common but eminently preventable
Infections acquired in hospitals are a major contributor not only to avoidable deaths but also to the cost of health care. Among preventative measures the simple but often neglected practice of hand-washing stands out. Continue reading »
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KIM OATES. The health gap.
“The problem is ………. that we have been pursuing economic policy that benefits the one per cent. Trickle-down economics is defunct and does not work”. “Politics quickly departs from evidence into the realm of ideology ….. But evidence must be a key part of the conversation.” “One senior Conservative politician in Britain put it to Continue reading »
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KIM OATES. Respecting patients and keeping them safe
Some words of advice from Kim Oates for doctors and other health workers. The patient is the reason for health services. Health workers are means to that end. Continue reading »
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Kim Oates. Excuse me doctor, have you washed your hands?
Imagine you are a patient in hospital. The doctor draws back the bed sheet to examine your abdomen. Before you are touched, you say “Excuse me doctor, have you washed your hands?” Would you dare? Would you be too embarrassed, awkward or even afraid to ask? Would you worry that it would be rude to Continue reading »
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Kim Oates. Don’t forget children when talking about domestic violence
Children are victims of domestic violence too. Last week the Children’s Commissioner released this year’s children’s rights report. It provided new data about the prevalence of child physical and sexual abuse and their links with domestic violence. Christmas, traditionally a time of peace and goodwill is sadly, a time of increased domestic violence, thought to be Continue reading »
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Kim Oates. The Forgotten Children
I have just read the report of the Australian Human Rights Commission on Children in Detention “The Forgotten Children”. It is clear, factual and unemotional. It is supported by evidence and is non-partisan. It is not on the side of any political party. It is on the side of children. It made me ashamed about Continue reading »
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Child sexual abuse: who are the abusers? Guest blogger, Professor Kim Oates
The awareness of the existence of child sex abuse, particularly its frequency, has only occurred in relatively recent times. Now, we read or view daily stories about it. Whether this widespread public awareness of the problem has done much to prevent it and to help the victims is questionable, but it is better than our Continue reading »
