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GPs advocate for change in SA Parliament
The RACGP has gathered GPs from across the state to bring their practice into Parliament, chatting with MPs about the importance of preventive care.
GPs spent the day in South Australian Parliament doing health checks and chatting to MPs about what it’s like being a GP in the state.
GPs gathered in the South Australian Parliament on Tuesday to give MPs a health check-up and to chat one-on-one about changes to general practice funding in the state.
The RACGP delegation is hoping the face-to-face time with politicians will help them see the value in preventive care and start conversations on investment and reform.
RACGP SA Chair Dr Sian Goodson told newsGP they have three key advocacy points to ‘grow and sustain the GP workforce in South Australia’.
‘Firstly, what we’re asking the State Government to do is match Victoria and Queensland by providing incentive payments for general practice registrars,’ she said.
‘Our second priority is to rule out the expansion of programs that jeopardise patient safety by allowing health workers to provide potentially complex healthcare that should be provided by specialist GPs.’
Dr Goodson’s comments come after the State Government recently moved to significantly expand pharmacy prescribing in South Australia.
The group’s third talking point with MPs, Dr Goodson said, is for further investment in general practice.
More than 20 South Australian MPs met with GPs for consults.
‘The need for general practice care is increasing in South Australia because we have an ageing population and an epidemic of chronic illness which requires high-quality general practice care – 90% or 1.5 million people in our state are living with at least one long-term health condition,’ she said.
‘We’ve got a hospital ramping crisis here, and we know that GPs can be part of that solution.
‘We’d like the Government to incentivise general practices in South Australia to extend their opening hours, to boost access to essential healthcare outside of business hours, because that would improve access to GPs, and it would reduce pressure on emergency departments.’
The SA hospital system remains in crisis, with SA Health launching a controversial campaign earlier this year encouraging people to use a hotline if they are not sure whether to present to the emergency department.
Dr Goodson said there are more solutions in preventive care and general practice than pushing people towards an already overburdened hospital system.
‘Pouring taxpayers’ money into hospitals won’t fix this, it won’t ease the pressure on our hospitals, or ambulance ramping,’ she said.
‘What we need is investment in preventive care and management of chronic conditions by GPs in the community.’
Although Dr Goodson emphasised the strong need for a shift in health funding priorities, she said today was more about opening conversations.
‘The aim is to further build our relationships with government and all MPs within SA Parliament, both the lower and upper house, to ensure that the RACGP remains the voice of general practice in South Australia,’ she said.
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