General practice spending falls by $800m in one year

Description

New Productivity Commission figures, which predate the start of the tripled bulk billing incentive, also show a notable dip in the remote workforce....

Professor Mark Morgan, Chair of RACGP Expert Committee – Quality Care, said the Productivity Commission data reflect a long-term lack of funding, along with systemic inefficiencies.
 
‘These facts and figures are a demonstration of years of neglect to support general practice to reach and maintain its full potential,’ he told newsGP.  
 
‘Prevention, chronic disease management, acute care and shared-care with subspecialist teams are important roles of GP teams.
 
‘Patient rebates have not kept up with the cost of providing expert comprehensive primary care.
 
‘GPs are still bound up by red tape effectively reducing appointment availability.
 
‘Why on earth do we still have an authority script system? GPs are required to work with clunky systems that are shaped around the needs of external organisations so that it rarely feels like a partnership to achieve best patient outcomes.
 
‘Examples include residential aged care homes, out-patient clinics and the crazily expensive medication distribution system.’

Subject

General practice funding

Health systems