Funding for extended mental health consults on RACGP budget wish list

The RACGP’s 2021–22 pre-budget submission also urges the Federal Government to introduce new rebates to support longer consultations for people with chronic and complex health needs, as well as improved patient access to general practice services by increasing annual indexation of Medicare rebates.
 
The calls come in the wake of the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic and ongoing trauma from the devastating 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires, and RACGP President Dr Karen Price said general practice needs more support to help patients across Australia.
 
‘2020 was an incredibly trying year and the health implications of the bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic will have to be very carefully managed in the months and years ahead,’ she said.
 
‘During the pandemic some patients, including older people and those with chronic conditions and multi-morbidities, delayed or avoided consulting with their GP. Mental health issues soared as people were plunged into a world of uncertainty and separated from loved ones.
 
‘[Meanwhile], GPs in communities hit by the bushfires are still doing all they can to help people who have lost homes and suffered significant trauma.
 
‘The job is far from complete and that is why it is vital that general practice has the backing to provide the highest possible standard of care to our patients.’
 
Dr Price said something as simple as facilitating longer GP consultations could make all the difference.
 
‘When patients present with mental health issues it takes time for us to get to the bottom of what they are experiencing,’ she said.
 
‘We simply cannot rush this process; however, the reality facing GPs is that the patient’s rebate reduces dramatically per minute if they need to spend more time with us.
 
‘As things currently stand there is no unrestricted item for patients to spend more than 40 minutes with their GP discussing their mental health and that is simply not good enough.
 
‘The solution is right in front of us, we must increase patient rebates for longer general practice consultations so that people with concerns about their mental health have the best possible chance of getting the help and support they need.
 
‘Longer consultations will be so important for these patients as well as those with chronic and complex health needs.’
 
Aside from new rebates to support longer consultations, the submission also calls on the Government to maintain access to Medicare-subsidised telehealth consultations via telephone and video, and to introduce innovative new ways of funding GPs to support patients with complex health needs.
 
‘GPs and general practice staff have done an incredible job holding the front line, but more help is urgently required,’ Dr Price said.
 
‘The unfortunate reality is that the percentage of total government health expenditure on hospitals continues to increase each year, while the percentage spent on primary care has gradually declined.
 
‘The average patient out-of-pocket cost to consult with a GP is now higher than the Medicare rebate for the most commonly used general practice item. Years of inadequate Medicare Benefits Schedule funding has caught up with us.
 
‘The time to act is now. We are managing patients affected by twin public health crises and unless we invest in primary care access to healthcare will be severely compromised.
 
‘Government must act decisively to provide superior support for GPs working tirelessly on the frontline.’
 
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