The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) welcomes the Coalition’s announcement to double the Practice Incentive Payment (PIP) for general practice training, recognising and supporting general practice supervisors in the community.
Dr Liz Marles, RACGP President said the College has long advocated for this change, which is a key step toward ensuring a sustainable future for the general practice workforce and the communities they serve.
“While the current subsidy is of assistance, it is insufficient payment for the time taken to provide high quality teaching for our future generation of doctors.
“An investment in general practice training is an investment into the improved quality and cost effectiveness of the entire Australian healthcare system,” said Dr Marles.
A recommendation in the RACGP’s 2013–14 pre-budget submission, the College hopes the proposed subsidy will support and encourage more general practices to provide education and training for medical students.
“General practice training is the best way to ensure that all Australians, now and in the future, will have continued access to high quality and affordable healthcare services,” said Dr Marles.
Also announced is the commitment of $52.5 million to provide grants that improve rural and remote teaching infrastructure.
“Rural and remote general practices face unique challenges in the provision of healthcare and are often the cornerstone of a community’s healthcare needs.
“Additional capacity in rural and remote practices for medical students and registrars will inject much needed resources into rural and remote general practice. However, there are many underserviced metropolitan areas that require an equal investment,” said Dr Marles.
The RACGP will continue to call for bi-partisan support towards the investment into general practice and the community to meet the growing demands and challenges in our health system.
The RACGP welcomes the opportunity to further discuss, with all sides of government, the details and practicalities of implementing the strategies identified in the RACGP’s 2013–14 pre-budget submission and pre-election statement.