Sunfish
Until 2021 (?) CASA / Avmed had successfully frustrated the push for reform of private pilot medical standards by pretended reform
For a while CASA published the number of medicals issued under this scheme and it was pitiful. Another mechanism they used to frustrate it was the selection of some medicals for CASA review. The Force foight back on these medicals and won.
If you ever needed a demonstration that CASA AVMED was not acting in the best interests of safety and was pursuing its own agenda, it is contained in ATSB reports. The ATSB has created 2 reports into pilot incapacitation in flight. If AVMED had real interest in improving safety, it would work on the identified issues from the top down. The things that CASA get hung up on and harass pilots with daisy chaining requests for medical tests do not appear on the ATSB list at all.
When AVMED came under the control of Rob walker he vowed to inprove AVMED. He moved on without visible signs of improvement, however I suspect some of the recent hopeful signs of improvement can be traced back to him. There are signs that cause optimism. There is a new permanent secretary for the DIIRD who has a reputation for bring changes to departments. Pip Spence is clear;y having a go and Dr Kate Manderson is the first non academic PMO for a liong time - maybe since Rob Liddell???
Also, we may have COVID to thank for some changes. With the current staff shortages in medice generally and general practice specifically, its hard to imagine that CASA will be able to attract any doctors to its review team. And as tight as things are now it will become desperately critical as the baby boomer doctors - who are continuing to practice in their late 60's and 70's - finally retire. It might force CASA back to trusting their DAME's and maybe - just maybe they might start to accept specialists opinions rather then their own behind-the-times low-rent generalists.