Zoe Moffatt
The federal government is being called on to better fund general practitioner (GP) practices and stabilise the ongoing supply of GP’s for areas like Riddells Creek following the federal budget.
Business manager representative John Cross has been a business consultant to medical practices for 12 years and said immediate review is urgently needed in regards to financial resources.
“I believe there is a funding shortfall and lack of focus on fixing the short to medium term problem of ensuring the ongoing supply of GP’s generally but more so in rural and regional
areas such as Riddells Creek,” Mr Cross said.
“GP practices will require better financial resources and… better focus on overseeing an efficient and effective system for getting doctor resources into practices quickly.
“That is not what is happening Australia wide, and an immediate review is urgently needed.
Mr Cross said he welcomes the government’s bulk billing incentives in the federal budget but said there is a long way to go in order to maintain services.
“Given the need to vigorously rebuild the role of bulk billing… it was pleasing to finally see initiatives like this that at least go some way towards the provision of free medicine to the most vulnerable,” he said.
“There is a long way to go before we will see bulk billing as a way of providing the required medical services to patients outside of these groups.
“I believe GP practices will not be able to maintain the current level of services without patients outside of these groups paying significantly more in the way of private fees or gaps over the next five years.”
Mr Cross said maintaining the constant supply of doctors and nurses in regional areas and providing financial initiatives to enable them to work in high levels of professional primary services is a major challenge.
“This has not been addressed for a long time by either federal or state government and we are so lucky that … Riddells Country Practice has always been that the community and patient needs come first.
“As a team we all sacrifice what it takes for this to happen.”
This call for a review follows the $3.5 billion investment in bulk billing incentives in the federal budget.
Health and Ageing Assistant Minister Ged Kearny said this makes Medicare stronger for everyone and delivers on critical funding and reforms needs “after nine long years of cuts and neglect.”
