AMA welcomes single employer model pilot for GP trainees in Tasmania

The Australian Medical Association has welcomed today's joint Commonwealth and Tasmanian Government announcement to initiate a single employer model pilot for GP trainees in the state, aimed at encouraging GP registrars to establish life-long careers in rural Tasmania.

Under the pilot up to 20 medical trainees hoping to specialise in general practice will have the choice of being employed by the Tasmanian Health Service for their training period, ensuring comparable employment conditions to trainees working in other specialty areas.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said the AMA has been a strong advocate for a single employer model to provide GP trainees with wages and conditions comparable with doctors training in other specialty areas in public hospitals.

“The AMA at both state and federal levels had been negotiating with both governments to make the initiative a reality, with the single employer model having been developed by the AMA over several years and a key ask of the AMA’s plan to Modernise Medicare campaign.” Professor Robson said.

“We are extremely heartened to see both the Tasmanian and federal governments moving to pilot this model. Tasmania suffers from an acute shortage of GPs and this reform has the potential to make a long-term difference, delivering better access to GP services for communities across the state in rural and outer metropolitan areas.

“General practice is the backbone of our health system and an extremely meaningful and good career. However, the reality is doctors considering entering the GP training program need to grapple with the prospect of a significant cut in wages once they leave the public hospital system, estimated to be around $25k per year, as well as inferior access to personal leave, annual leave, long service leave, and parental leave.

“This is one of the key reasons the Australian General Practice Training Program fails to fill many of its training places each year,” Professor Robson said.

“The single employer model overcomes this problem, with the state government continuing to employ GP trainees while they undertake their general practice training — ensuring that they get equitable pay and conditions.

“This is a good first step in addressing the GP workforce problems faced in Tasmania. Once implemented, we hope that it can quickly be scaled up to cover the whole GP training program in Tasmania.

“Given the pressure on general practice around the country, we encourage all states and territories to work with the Commonwealth to implement a single employer model for GP trainees.” Professor Robson said the Commonwealth also needed to deliver a significant boost of funding, beyond the $750 million already allocated to Strengthen Medicare.

“We need to see more funding for general practice in the next budget to address immediate problems in access to services for patients and improve general practice viability, while also setting the platform for long-term reforms.” Professor Robson said.