General Practice

By Dr Brian MortonIt’s May, the month of the Federal Budget. While health has come through relatively unscathed, it appears that GPs have been hit again – although not to the same extent as last year.  

In the Government’s rhetoric, they acknowledge that GPs are the backbone of primary health care. You wouldn’t know it from recent decisions.

On Budget night, the Government announced it would cease the GP Immunisation Incentives Scheme. The funding equates to about $80 million per year across 5600 general practices. As AMA President Dr Steve Hambleton noted after the Budget, the decision to discontinue the GP Immunisation Incentives Scheme is a public health threat of the highest order.

Australia’s immunisation program is renowned worldwide for its track record in maintaining high immunisation rates across all the ages covered by the Immunisation Schedule. The program has been effective because of the broad range of policy inititiatives that support it and make sure it works. It has increased immunisation rates in Australia from 60 to 90 per cent for kids less than seven years of age. This decision, however, could undo all that hard work, and the rate may fall again as general practices lose incentives that encourage practices to be very active in making sure parents have their children immunised.

Part of the Budget also includes a requirement that general practices must participate in the personally controlled electronic health record (PECHR) system if they are to continue receiving e-health Practice Incentive Program (PIP) funding. The AMA made it clear after this announcement that it was not so much a requirement as a threat. GPs want e-health to work, but at every turn the Government seems to be sending the message that GPs will be the ones to absorb all the costs and the risks.

The Government also took the opportunity to announce on Budget night that practices will need to meet higher targets for the PIP Diabetes Incentive (from 20 per cent to 50 per cent) and in the PIP Cervical Screening Incentive (from 65 per cent to 70 per cent). There was no consultation about these changes, just an undisguised criticism of the hard work that GPs have been doing in these areas.

These cuts to the Practice Incentive Program, together with cuts in recent Budgets such as those to Medicare rebate for GP mental services,  are placing an even greater burden on the engine room of the Australian health system – hardworking GPs in suburbs and towns across the country. GPs have had enough of the Government’s continued attacks on the general practice.