The Interim report into the provision of general practitioner and related primary health services to outer metropolitan, rural and regional Australians by the Commonwealth Senate Community Affairs References Committee has recognised that current Medicare funding for GP services is inadequate.
The report calls for across the board increases for funding for general practice.
AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said "General practice has had to deal with inadequate indexation of Medicare rebates since Medicare was introduced and patient rebate freezes under both major parties. The simple reality is the rate of growth in a patient's Medicare rebate is less than inflation and staff wages growth. In real terms, general practice is being asked to do more with less and this is impacting practice viability and access to services for patients."
Dr Omar Khorshid said fewer doctors were choosing to enter the GP training program, fuelled by a growing view that governments and Medicare simply did not value the significant skills and expertise of GPs.
"This is the product of deliberate Government policy over many years that has taken general practice for granted," he said.
"The AMA had hoped the Commonwealth's attitude to general practice would change, however, the long-awaited Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan released in last week's Budget was simply more of the same. It delivered a welcome vision for general practice, but no funding to deliver that vision.
"The response of the Opposition has been equally as disappointing. Just weeks out from an election it is yet to release any meaningful GP policy and relying on voters to believe that it will be better."
The AMA in the lead up to the upcoming federal election released a pre-budget submission providing sensible and costed ideas for primary health care that would support GPs and their consumers including:
Introduce medical homes to bolster coordinated, patient centred care.
Increase the time available to patients to spend with their GP to address complex healthcare concerns.
Encourage the provision of more GP services into after-hours.
Expand the number of nurse and allied health services available in general practices.
Bolster the GP care provided to aged care residents.
Create a wound consumables scheme, saving patients time and money
Evolve our GP training program to make general practice more appealing to the next generation of doctors.
The AMA is proud and ready to ensure that the voices of GPs will be heard during the upcoming federal election campaign.
