RACGP to advocate for more support at long COVID inquiry

Description

There has been an ‘ignored urgency’ to provide better post-viral illness care in Australia, college representative Professor Mark Morgan will argue...

It is why Professor Mark Morgan, Chair of RACGP Expert Committee – Quality Care, told newsGP he will push for more clinical and professional support for GPs during his 40-minute appearance on Monday morning.

‘GPs need to be supported to coordinate services for patients and to provide affordable long appointments for these complex presentations,’ he said.

‘I am also very keen to make it clear that Australia needs an independent, trusted source of evidence synthesis and clinical practice guidelines. 

‘Without this, people will be exposed to best-guess treatments and even quack treatments, which are likely to be harmful and expensive.’ ...

But going forwards, Professor Morgan believes primary care should be ‘strongly supported’ to provide most long COVID treatment and care coordination, with only people who have high end and disabling symptoms treated in specialist centres.

‘A few specialist centres that get really good at managing complex long COVID would be helpful, but not as the mainstay of treatment for the majority of the population,’ he said.

‘History has told us they will otherwise be flooded and not able to cope with demand. Look at pain clinics, or sleep clinics – they’re few and far between with long waiting lists, and quite tight entry requirements.’

Aside from improving access to treatment, Professor Morgan says GPs are also well placed to help manage and coordinate the care of patients with long COVID.

‘GPs are the backbone of the health system in Australia,’ he said. 

‘Our patients come to see us with distressing symptoms and signs, often with no diagnosis, and part of our job is to help form a diagnosis or at least a plan to help our patients recover.

‘Long COVID has multisystem impacts and therefore lends itself to generalist management by GPs rather than subspecialist management. It can also have biopsychosocial impacts that GPs are well used to addressing.’

Subject

Long COVID
General Practice