The Medicare Benefit Schedule Interim Report vastly overstates the waste and inefficiency in general practice and is yet another example of the Federal Government seemingly unfairly targeting GPs according to The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
“The Federal Government is running an inequitable campaign against general practice and GPs, which is not based on best evidence,” RACGP president Dr Frank R Jones said.
“This is not a report about general practice waste, it’s about waste in the entire healthcare system, including unnecessary or low-value procedures delivered in hospitals, testing, healthcare variation, and other healthcare services – involving allied health professionals, nurses, general practitioners, and other specialists. In other words, everyone,” Dr Jones said.
The report uses very limited anecdotal evidence collected during the consultation and submission process and assumptions and conclusions are made without an independent evidence based assessment.
“Leaking highly selective topics to the general media only makes the whole debate problematic: every part of the health system can make cost efficiencies and we as GPs will take ownership and governance within our specialty: however inefficiencies in general practice pale into insignificance when compared to the rest of the health system: targeting general practice alone is totally illogical,” Dr Jones said.
“General practice is the most essential and efficient part of the healthcare system. In real dollars, the average cost of general practice services has not risen for over 10 years – unlike other parts of the healthcare system.
“Can we do things better? Absolutely. But let’s stick to the facts, not the obvious exaggeration,” Dr Jones said.
GPs are the gatekeepers to cost-efficient health care and prevent the unnecessary escalation of care and coordinate patient management, at a fraction of the cost of hospital and other specialist services.
“The best way to combat waste is to have a regular GP who is across your healthcare, including the tests you’ve had, and the specialists you’ve seen.
“The best way to achieve improved efficiencies is to implement the Patient Centred Medical Home concept championed by the RACGP, supported by adequate funding and a swift end to the extended Medicare freeze,” Dr Jones said.