AGPA Question 3: What is your plan to improve the viability of General Practices?
Dr Palmyra De Banks:
Improving the viability of general practices requires a multifaceted approach. My plan includes advocating for significant increases in MBS rebates, including increased item numbers scope, to better reflect the true cost of care; addressing workforce shortages by promoting general practice as a rewarding career; and reducing the administrative burdens that take time away from patient care. My experience in managing a large network of clinics gives me a practical understanding of the challenges faced by practice owners, and I am committed to working closely with them to develop and implement strategies that enhance financial sustainability and ensure the long-term viability of general practices.
Dr Alan Bradley:
My plan involves strident advocacy about the upcoming Scope of Practice Review, of avoiding the slide into capitation via MyMedicare and blended funding models, and of ensuring that no doctor who decides to train as a GP is required to take a pay cut and lose their entitlements to do so. For more, please see my website: https://www.dralanbradley.com.au/racgp-presidential-candidate-2024
Dr Michael Clements:
We need to protect fee for service and private fee setting as a core component of our primary care model and support our practices and members breaking free from the Medicare tether whenever possible. At the same time we need to acknowledge some practices and practitioners will want to engage with the government funding models, particularly for vulnerable communities and use blended payment models and bulk-billing, so we also need to advocate for increased rebates, increased overall funding and bundled payments that are actually workable within a small business. We must also push to reduce red tape and time consuming madness such as the authority line.
Dr Monirul Haque:
I have few ideas. Firstly by including the Family Medicine with General Practice, it will increase the scope of work we GPs do. Secondly to address the shortage of Doctors, I would work towards for creating opportunity for the overseas trained doctors to get trained in the metropolitan cities for the first two years before going in the rural areas. Thirdly, work towards increasing the Medicare rebate for chronic, complex and challenging medical problems. Fourth- more fund for GP registrar and supervisors equivalent to hospital registrars and supervisors.
Dr Michael Wright:
My platform outlines a series of measures to increase funding for general practice including 1) targeted MBS funding increases for high needs patient and the GPs looking after them, 2) increasing WIP and removing WIP caps and more capacity payments to support practice strengthening in areas such as care coordination and governance, 3) regulatory changes to allow practice team time to be included within consultation time. I will also commit to strong and successful advocacy in funding and workforce reform as the key accountability for my term as President. I will also share a more positive narrative about the potential of general practice, a push for us to expand our scope and use technology to improve our standing, financial viability and capacity to lead the health system