Have your say in Scope of Practice survey

Members can help shape the college’s input into a nationwide overhaul of the health system, with a survey into the independent Scope of Practice review now live.
 
The ‘Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce Review’, commissioned by the Department of Health and Aged Care, was announced last month, and is aimed at ensuring Australia is optimising the skills and training of its medical professionals.
 
The review was a priority recommendation of the ‘Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report’, and will focus on GPs, nurses, pharmacists, midwives, allied health practitioners, First Nations health practitioners, and paramedics.
 
As the RACGP puts together its submission into the inquiry, members who would like to contribute have until 9.00 am (AEST) 28 September to complete the online survey.
 
Professor Mark Morgan, Chair of RACGP Expert Committee – Quality Care previously told newsGP there are several areas in which GPs can play a larger role, and broad healthcare changes are needed for that to happen, such as this Scope of Practice review.
 
‘What GPs really need to enable them to work at full scope of practice are accessible, real-time sources of high-quality information and health pathways,’ he said.
 
‘A revisiting of those rebates for people working within general practice, so it doesn’t have to be the GP themselves, would be a very sensible way forward.’
 
Many of the college’s GPs agree with Professor Morgan, with 72% of respondents to a recent newsGP survey saying there is room to expand GPs’ scope of practice.
 
But Professor Morgan said it is not just GPs who can expand their scope and skills.
 
‘I would like to imagine that practice nurses and in-house non-dispensing pharmacists and others working as part of a GP team could take appropriate roles and expand their scope of practice to fulfil roles such as running childhood immunisation clinics, for example,’ he said.
 
The review will be led by Professor Mark Cormack, creator of the Australian National University’s National Centre for Health Workforce Studies and former head of Health Workforce Australia.
 
He has been tasked with creating a more productive health system, allowing better access for marginalised groups, and greater job satisfaction for medical professionals.
 
Professor Cormack is set to deliver an interim report by the end of the year, with a final report due by September 2024.
 
Members completing the survey can also submit any supporting evidence or case examples, including literature, examples of community need and expanded scope within multidisciplinary teams, via email to the RACGP.
 
Alternatively, members can provide feedback directly by completing the independent review’s online survey, which will remain open until 16 October.
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

general practice scope of practice