The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) today welcomes the appointment of the Hon. Greg Hunt MP as the new Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care.
RACGP President Dr Bastian Seidel said the appointment of a new health minister was a timely opportunity for the government to regroup and bolster its focus on general practice.
“The provision of essential medical care for Australians has reached a crossroads and the nation’s general practice profession is at breaking point,” Dr Seidel said.
“The decisions Minister Hunt makes over the coming months will have far reaching impacts for our health system, for many years to come.
“Here is a fresh opportunity for the Federal Government to demonstrate once and for all it is committed to equity in health care and a general practice system accessible for all Australians.”
Dr Seidel said the first and most effective move Minister Hunt should make is to heed the RACGP’s call to lift the Medicare freeze.
“With the freeze on patient Medicare rebates lifted, the profession will be better placed to collaborate with the government and discuss the best way forward for the Australian health system,” Dr Seidel said.
“I also encourage Minister Hunt to progress the ongoing MBS review, which is an incredibly important policy instrument for strengthening general practice.
“The RACGP supports a contemporary and evidence based health system that genuinely prioritises the delivery of high quality, safe patient care by highly skilled specialist GPs.
“I look forward to discussing with Minister Hunt the requirement for an appropriately designed and funded Health Care Homes trial, and appropriate investment in general practice research to better support patient health outcomes.
“We will work closely with Minister Hunt to advocate for these health priorities.”
Dr Seidel said he was confident Minister Hunt would be the strong health leader Australia needs.
“Having worked closely with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Minister Hunt is a highly experienced minister across significant portfolios, indicating the significance of the ‘often challenging’ health portfolio to the Prime Minister.
“Minister Hunt launched a $500 million biomedical translation fund in 2016, a strong indication that he recognises the importance of an innovative, evidence-based and robust health care system to Australia.
“The RACGP is the voice of general practice in Australia, and as an academic medical college we comment on policies rather than politics. It is therefore the role of the RACGP to work closely with Minister Hunt to inform and advise on evidence based policies which will subsequently improve the health outcomes of all Australians.”