GPs @ Parliament campaign kicks off

A coalition of more than 20 fed-up GPs has taken its fight for change straight to the top – walking into Parliament House on Monday for three days of in-person advocacy and negotiation.
 
The RACGP’s second GPs @ Parliament event is demanding politicians from all sides take drastic action to fix the nation’s health system.
 
Hailing from across Australia, the group’s members say leaders must hear directly from GPs on the frontline about their current challenges, as well as their solutions.
 
The GP delegation will remain in Canberra until Wednesday, with its schedule including meetings with Ministers, Senators, and parliamentarians of all political stripes, attending Question Time, and a briefing with the House Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport.
 
GPs will also attend a breakfast with the Parliamentary Friends of General Practice group, and the ‘Roundtable: Building Net Zero and Climate-Resilient General Practice’.
 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins is in Canberra for the entirety of the visit and told newsGP it is an opportunity to educate politicians about the role of a GP and what the profession needs.
 
‘GPs are at Parliament to tell our MPs what we do, how we do it, and why it’s important that GPs are valued and funded,’ she said.
 
‘At the same time, we’ve got some high-level meetings this week on Strengthening Medicare, scope of practice, and GP training, so it’s an important opportunity to advise and to tell the stories of our patients.’
 
This year, the group has three key advocacy items, including ensuring Australia has enough GPs for the future.
 
Specifically, the delegation is calling for a significant boost in Federal Government investment into the health workforce to meet skyrocketing patient demand.
 
It says GPs are needed now more than ever, but the nation is grappling with a critical shortage of doctors, as well as nurses, pharmacists, and psychiatrists.
 
Secondly, the GP advocates want greater investment into general practice care to reduce pressure on hospitals, including funding for universal annual children’s health checks.
 
Its third ask is for funding and support to establish a national practice-based research network, with just 2% of Australia’s current health spending going towards preventive care.
 
To combat these worsening crises, the delegation said long-term health reform is key, rather than promises based on Budget or election cycles.
 
Dr Higgins said to help inform this long-term advocacy, the delegation in Canberra includes a diversity of experience, including those from rural and urban areas, different genders, and different specific interests.
 
‘This is the visible advocacy, and it raises awareness amongst the profession and amongst the media that this is what’s happening every day with our leaders in general practice,’ she said.
 
‘There’s a lot of work that happens behind the scenes to support our members because this is a very big and busy space at the moment.
 
‘General practice is under significant threat, so we’re here fighting for it.’
 
The meetings come just one week after the RACGP joined more than 50 peak medical colleges, organisations, and societies in Canberra for a national roundtable to discuss the systemwide pressures facing the health sector.
 
With the Federal Budget due to be handed down in May, the RACGP has made a number of demands in its pre-Budget Submission 2024–25, all aimed at keeping Australians healthy at the same time as supporting GPs.
 
The college’s Budget wish list also includes a 20% increase to all Medicare rebates for Level C and D consultations with an additional increase applied to MMM 3–7.
 
It also wants to see greater support for practices to grow their teams and employ other healthcare workers, and paid parental and study leave for general practice registrars.
 
Dr Higgins said with the help of GPs across Australia, decisionmakers can be better informed of the struggles within the health system, and how they can be solved.
 
‘What we’re doing in general practice is we’re helping people live healthier and longer lives and stay out of expensive hospitals, which is good for the budget,’ she said.
 
‘There is also a bigger opportunity out of this, which is to raise awareness for our members about why it’s important that we have conversations with our Parliament.
 
‘This can also be done at a grassroots level, and we’re currently developing an advocates network so GPs can have regular conversations with MPs in their own electorates about the issues that are facing them on the ground.’
 
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