Australian Medical Association

Federal AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, will spend the next two days meeting with local family doctors in New South Wales to hear first hand how they are dealing with health reforms and policies, most notably Medicare Locals, GP Super Clinics, and Local Hospital Networks, with a special focus on working to improve the integration between hospitals and general practice.

United General Practice Australia (UGPA) leaders have warned the Commonwealth and State Governments to ensure there is genuine consultation with GP groups on primary health care policy and reform or risk alienating the core sector of the reform process.

During a meeting today in Canberra, UGPA reiterated the need for better consultation and communication about the role of Medicare Locals.

AMA RED TAPE SURVEY 2011

The AMA has estimated that halving the amount of Government red tape confronted by GPs each week would free up approximately 7.4 million extra general practice consultations every year, which would dramatically improve patient access to health care.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the AMA welcomes the Government’s investment in general practice through primary care infrastructure grants.

Dr Hambleton said that the grants – totalling $54 million this round – would enable existing practices to expand and upgrade their facilities.

Did you know that the RACGP Vocational Training Standards are changing? The new draft standards involve significant change and a move to an outcomes based approach. Supervisors and doctors-in-training have expressed concern about some elements of the draft standards. Find out what the changes to the Vocational Training Standards could mean for you by reading our submission.

The provision of out-of-hours care is a key part of general practice. The AMA Out-of-Hours Primary Medical Care 2011 position statement has been developed to guide the design of these services, outlining the essential feature of a successful model of out-of-hours primary medical care.

The Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, has confirmed today in a media release that there are ongoing problems with the implementation of the Government’s GP Super Clinics program, highlighted by the decision not to proceed with Super Clinics in Darwin (NT) and Sorell (Tas).

This comes on top of the much-publicised issues around the Redcliffe GP Super Clinic in Queensland.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, has today written to Health Minister Nicola Roxon calling for a moratorium on the Government’s Budget cuts to GP mental health services under the Better Access program, which are due to commence from 1 November.

The AMA has been actively campaigning against the cuts since Budget night in May and has gained the support of GPs, mental health experts, and the families of people with mental illness.

Dr Hambleton said that the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee – which received more than 1000 submissions – is currently looking into the Government’s handling of mental health services and is not due to report until 20 October.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the Government’s Coordinated Veterans’ Care (CVC) program will help reduce avoidable hospital admissions in veterans with chronic and complex diseases.

Dr Hambleton said that the AMA welcomes the CVC program’s comprehensive approach to the management of chronic and complex diseases.

“One of the greatest challenges in caring for older people is ensuring that their care needs are well supported and coordinated,” Dr Hambleton said.

MJA release: Two decades ago a study found that male and female GPs had different general practice characteristics and managed different types of medical conditions, and that many of these differences were inherent to GP sex.

A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia has found these differences remain, even though the proportion of GPs who are female has doubled.