Whilst the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement of new funding for hospitals and health services, the RACGP is calling on all sides of government to commit to primary healthcare and recognise the pivotal role of general practice in Australian communities.
The Federal Government recently announced that a $357 million package will modernise hospital and medical treatment facilities, boost the health workforce and provide sophisticated medical diagnostic and treatment technologies.
In its 2013–14 pre-budget submission, the RACGP called on the Federal Government to implement a staged-approach to formalising the ‘medical home’ concept within Australia.
Dr Liz Marles, RACGP President, said the ‘medical home’ concept places the general practitioner (GP) at the centre of coordinated, integrated and whole-person care delivery and is driven by improved health outcomes, reduced hospital admissions and lower healthcare costs.
“The role of general practice and other primary healthcare services in maintaining the health of Australians is often overshadowed by the demands on hospital services.
“General practice is often a patients’ first point of contact with the health system. Having an established and ongoing relationship with a nominated GP has measurable health benefits for patients and should not be underestimated.”
“It is known that improved coordination of care – a core feature of the medical home – results in reduced avoidable hospital presentations, hospital admissions and length of hospital stays for patients with one or more chronic conditions,” Dr Marles said.
In looking ahead to September’s Federal election, the RACGP has developed a pre-election statement setting a clear health agenda to support an efficient and effective primary healthcare system.
Dr Marles said primary healthcare must receive adequate funding to ensure patients are not faced with increased out-of-pocket expenses.
“With the average Australian paying $1075 per year in out-of-pocket expenses, we know that many of Australia’s most vulnerable patients are increasingly delaying seeing their GP.
“Those with the greatest healthcare needs often have the least capacity to pay for health services.
“Achieving ubiquitous care for all stems from access to bulk-billing services. Medicare Australia’s universal healthcare model is only made possible with substantial Government investment that supports the role of general practice and recognising its importance in preventing and managing health outcomes in Australian communities,” Dr Marles said.
The RACGP would welcome the opportunity to further discuss, with all sides of government, the details and practicalities of implementing the RACGP’s 2013–14 pre-budget submission and pre-election statement.