17 October 2017


Government bowel cancer screening program failing patients

Speaking at GP14, Professor Jon Emery, Professor of Primary Care Cancer Research at the University of Melbourne, stressed the important role GPs play in boosting bowel cancer screening rates, the uptake of which is seriously lagging behind other general practice-led prevention schemes. Prof Emery referred to a UK trial that found mailing a letter to patients in advance of the faecal occult blood tests (FOBT) being sent in the post allowed GPs to increase screening participation rates by 8%. The evidence speaks for itself, and it is high time prevention of this deadly disease was driven by the experts.

Recent figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report are a timely reminder for the profession to lobby for bowel cancer screening to be led by general practice. The majority of Australians are failing to return FOBTs after their 50th, 55th and 65th birthdays, and only 33.4% of the 964,000 people eligible for the test between July 2012 and June 2013 participated, a staggering 35% drop from the previous period.

The AIHW report also found approximately 30% of the 23,500 participants who returned a positive FOBT result did not follow-up with a colonoscopy; an alarming statistic that would not exist if these screenings took place under the medical home model. It is vital the Federal Government heed the call of the general practice profession to take control of bowel cancer screening and consider proper incentives and practice-based targets for GPs, leading to positive health outcomes for all Australians.

Dr Frank R Jones
RACGP President


RACGP Ebola poster withdrawn

The RACGP has withdrawn the Ebola poster provided earlier this week for practices to display in their waiting rooms. The intent of the poster was to inform patients attending practices to make practice staff aware of any potential Ebola-like symptoms or risk factors. It was not intended to inform the community to present to GPs in the first instance. The RACGP acknowledges that the wording of the original poster had the potential to mislead and is actively re-wording the poster information for distribution to all members and their practice staff.

The RACGP advises patients and GPs to follow directives from the Department of Health (DoH), who are leading control measures.

All information for GPs regarding Ebola in the original email remains relevant and important. This information can also be accessed from the Department of Health’s website.

The RACGP will continue to communicate important Ebola information to GPs as required and upload this to the RACGP website.


Inquiry into Community Pharmacy in Victoria report

A recent outcome report of the Inquiry into Community Pharmacy in Victoria could potentially see pharmacists given the authority to implement vaccination programs and treat ‘minor ailments’, including wound care, insect bites, eczema, herpes simplex and sore throats. The report calls for increased scope of practice for pharmacists, dispensing powers and involvement in disease screening and management.

GPs are trained to manage undifferentiated presentations, alongside contextual therapeutics, and while pharmacists may have in-depth knowledge of pharmacology, this does not necessarily improve individual health outcomes. The RACGP welcomes collaboration with all health professionals, including pharmacists, but reiterates the importance of GPs remaining the principal coordinator of care of any proposed new model.


RACGP feedback poll: Disclosure of possible specialist fees and treatment costs

Price transparency tends to be a usual practice in most industries, but it is less common in healthcare. Anecdotal evidence, we well as feedback from some RACGP members, has suggested many patients feel they are unable to make informed decisions regarding their health due to a lack of timely information about treatment fees and costs.

There has been recent discussion regarding concerns of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by patients across the healthcare sector. In particular, questions regarding excessive fees charged by some specialists have highlighted the negative impact this practice has on clinical care. A number of stakeholders have recommended that specialists fully inform patients and referring doctors about possible fees and treatment costs at the start of the consultative process.   

To inform the RACGP’s future advocacy work in this area, RACGP In Practice readers are invited to provide feedback regarding barriers to meaningful informed financial consent when referring patients to specialists.


Media enquiries

Journalists and media outlets seeking comment and information from the RACGP should contact:

John Ronan

Senior Media Advisor