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Paul Hayes

08 May 2018
News

Federal Budget: RACGP welcomes commitment to the future of general practice

Paul Hayes

8/05/2018 8:15:36 PM

RACGP President Dr Bastian Seidel has welcomed news the 2018–19 Federal Budget will include a commitment to fund general practice training, calling it a signal the Government is beginning to understand specialist GPs’ fundamental role in Australian healthcare.

The Federal Government’s funding commitment for general practice training will help to ensure Australians have better access to a qualified specialist GP, RACGP President Dr Bastian Seidel said.
The Federal Government’s funding commitment for general practice training will help to ensure Australians have better access to a qualified specialist GP, RACGP President Dr Bastian Seidel said.

‘We are cautiously optimistic that the penny has finally dropped,’ Dr Seidel told newsGP.
 
The Federal Government has announced it will provide funding for a contemporary postgraduate training program for medical graduates through Australian medical colleges, including the RACGP.
 
‘[This] will ensure that all Australians have access to a doctor with specialist qualifications in general practice. This has not always been the case,’ Dr Seidel said.
 
In addition, the Government will support 3000 international medical graduates (IMG) to attain Fellowship as a specialist GP, a move welcomed by the RACGP.
 
While the commitment to training will likely be well received by Australia’s GPs, Dr Seidel believes they will nonetheless want more Government action in a number of other vital areas – not least increasing the Medicare rebate for GP attendances by 18.5% in order to align specialist GPs with other medical specialist attendance items.
 
‘We must see coherent and cohesive funding for general practice that reflects the expertise of all specialist GPs,’ Dr Seidel said. ‘Patients want to spend more time with their GP, and the evidence shows that time with your GP is good for patients.
 
‘Appropriate investment in general practice has been proven, repeatedly, to be the most cost-effective way to deliver effective healthcare to the Australian population, particularly as the numbers of patients with chronic conditions continue to increase.
 
‘The Federal Government can really make a difference to the quality of care GPs are able to provide Australians by increasing this rebate before the Federal election, and as a matter of urgency.’

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Maureen Fitzsimon   8/05/2018 9:11:05 PM

Meanwhile, is he silent on the Government’s deliberate destruction of Medicare. He is silent on the lack of respect for experience, and silent on Medicare punishing GPs for managing multiple complex pathologies in a single consultation. Flicking people out the door is rewarded. The RACGP needs to stop celebrating the Government’s tiny crumbs dropped from the table, and defend quality general practice.

SEEL0757   8/05/2018 9:12:51 PM

Well as a doctor who was qualified one year too late for the "grandfather clause " to achieve VR recognition, and with a College that charges over $8000.00 for a round of exams, from the observation that VR'ed doctors don't necessarily practise better medicine (in fact often times mediocre), we are now importing 3000 overseas doctors ? I've seen them in action also and I can tell you that some of them are about milking the system Scandalous!!!

Mai Maddisson   8/05/2018 9:32:36 PM

It doesn't matter how many GP geniuses the RACGP produces, all that will change is that the select patients who happen to live in the cosy locations doctors CHOOSE to work in will see more printed wall paper on their already available GPs' walls.
Those courageous folk who live in rural areas and keep Australia's wheels turning will be no better off. Has no one the courage to mandate that doctors are about doctoring ALL patients. It's time to stop 'band-aiding' because no one is prepared to roll up their sleeves. Importing doctors can only work short term- they too will find ways to move to cosy locales.

dr mark jeffery   8/05/2018 9:35:42 PM

it is quite simple unless there is a medicare rebate increase general practice will fail .It has gone beyond the crisis point . I survive because of non GP revenue that does not attract medicare remuneration -cosmetic medicine ,nutritiional medicine ,aviation medicine etc.
If I was to survive on skin cancer medicine I would go broke -just to operate and meet all the standards of acrreditation costs $150(nurse -44 dollars per hour including super,sutures .dressing pack ,room cost for theatre,cleaner ,sterilisation) -many of the procedures dont cover this .
logically okay I had 3 strokes,3 heart attacks in 3 weeks in my rooms ,cardiac failure ,bronchospasm .IT IS ONLY FAIR TO RECOGNISE THESE EMERGENCIES AS WE PROVIDE IN PRACTICE CARE PRIOR TO TRANSFER .
WE SHOULD BE PAID THE SAME FEES AS AFTERHOURS DOCTORS for emergency afterhour call outs We get no recognition for this -.AT THE END OF THE DAY WE PROVIDE EMERGENCY CARE ,THOSE WHO PROVIDE AFTERHOURS ARE SIMPLy SURF AND TURF doctors -THEY OFFER NO EMERGENCY CARE AND CANNOT CANNULATE ,GIVE FLUIDS ,GIVE OXYGEN YET THEY GET PAID RIDICULOSULY MORE FOR THEIR SERVICES -ITS WRONG UNDEniably IN EVERY ASPECT .THEY DONT PAY RENT FOPR ROOMS .THEY DONT PAY FOR NURSES -THE WHOLE SYSTEMSTINKS AND SHOULD RE DUCED TO THE GP RATE -23 IF THEY CHOOSE TO WORK AT NIGHT or fund community based afterhours with a doctor and highly trained emergency room nurses who can outreach an area and communicate back to base or arrange hospital transfer

Peter killey   9/05/2018 11:55:19 PM

I was wondering how a " no bulk bill day " would pan out

Babelyn Besorio   22/05/2018 10:52:46 AM

Good day. I an international medical graduate from the Philippines looking to possibly start a career in general practice here in Australia. This decision was greatly influenced by my husband getting an employment in the Defence International Training Center in the Australian Defence Force. However, I am confused on how to start my application. I have visited the different websites, including RACGP, but I could not get quite a clear procedure of the steps. Can you point me on the right direction? Thank you.

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