Summary:
General practice is the backbone of Australia’s health system, with nearly 90% of all Australians visiting their GP each year. Successive funding cuts to general practice, including to Medicare and the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector, has had a devastating impact on health service delivery. The current model of community care is unsustainable and requires significant and immediate government investment.
The RACGP is calling for the government to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the health of all Australians by investing in four key priority areas:
- Modernising medicine
- Reducing patient out-of-pocket costs
- Supporting GPs to provide a range of mental health services
- Supporting GPs to provide complex care to those who need it most