‘Wrong priorities’: RACGP President airs Budget concern

With this year’s Federal Budget to be handed down in a matter of hours, the RACGP has raised concerns about the potential for ‘misguided investment’ into health and general practice.
 
Over the weekend, the Federal Government revealed its health spend for 2024–25 would total $8.5 billion, but the college says it is worried this funding will not be spent where it is needed most.  
 
As part of that funding, $227 million will be dedicated to the creation of 29 additional Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs), bringing the total number to 87 across the country.
 
This boost would see the centres rolled out in regional, rural, and remote Australia, according to Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler.  
 
But RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins told newsGP this announcement was highlighting the ‘wrong priorities’ when it comes to addressing Australia’s healthcare needs, labelling it a ‘missed opportunity’ and ‘window dressing to the real problem’.
 
‘What we really need is to adequately fund chronic disease and mental health, which are the most common problems in general practice,’ she said.
 
‘The urgent care centres will help a handful of people in privileged areas, while those who need it the most in the rest of Australia will miss out, and this includes our rural patients.
 
‘We need to be investing in general practice because general practice is the foundation of our healthcare system and after 10 years of neglect, there’s very little resilience, very little capacity, in the system at the moment.’
 
Dr Higgins said the shortfall of funding for general practice was particularly disappointing following revelations earlier this year that pharmacists would share in a staggering $3 billion investment boost in the wake of 60-day dispensing changes.
 
Since the UCCs were first established, there have been almost 400,000 visits across Australia, with almost one third being for children under 15 years old.
 
And while the RACGP acknowledged these centres do make ‘some difference’, the college said an investment boost into general practice would do better at ensuring no patient is left behind.
 
Specifically, the RACGP is calling for investment into those struggling with mental health or suffering from chronic conditions – two of general practice’s mainstay consultation areas.
 
Dr Higgins said if these two items are not to be funded in the upcoming budget it will be ‘bitterly disappointing’.
 
‘After last year’s general practice focused budget, I don’t expect much this year, I expect it will be held over until 2025 when Australia will be going into an election cycle,’ Dr Higgins said.
 
‘After all the work during COVID and post-COVID, and now with all the discussion around scope of practice and strengthening Medicare, the mood in general practice is one of despondency at a time when we were just starting to see glimpses of light.’
 
Among its budget asks, the RACGP is calling for Tuesday’s Budget to include a 20% increase to patients’ Medicare rebates for longer consults and mental health, allowing patients to send more time with their GPs.
 
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Federal Budget Mark Butler scope of practice Urgent Care Centres