The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has alerted the Government that without better investment in general practice, Australia’s healthcare system will suffer.
The RACGP’s response to the Senate Select Committee on Health’s (the Committee) broad Terms of Reference on health policy, administration and financing reiterates general practice’s long standing position as the most efficient and effective component of the healthcare system.
The RACGP presented its submission to the Committee at a public hearing held last week at the Tasmanian Parliament in Hobart.
RACGP President, Dr Frank R Jones said it is of great concern that despite the large body of local and international evidence that supports general practice as the solution to curbing healthcare expenditure, it continues to be the target for funding cuts.
“The RACGP understands there are fiscal considerations when discussing healthcare needs, however making access to quality primary care more difficult via a co-payment is not the answer, especially for disadvantaged parts of our communities,” said Dr Jones.
“If the Government is serious about improving the quality of the Australian healthcare system, it would direct its attention to preventive health activities at a general practice level; a solution that would see benefits for patients, GPs and Government alike.”
The RACGP’s submission highlights the disparity of Government expenditure on hospitals whose costs are increasing exponentially as opposed to general practice.
“The introduction of a co-payment has the potential to exacerbate demand on the hospital system with patients forced to delay care from their GP,” said Dr Jones.
The RACGP urges the Government to heed its advice outlined in its response to the Senate Select Committee on Health.
As the peak professional body representing Australian general practice, the RACGP will continue to advocate on behalf of its members and the general practice profession.