AMA submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care on rural procedural programs streamline and expansion report
The AMA emphasises that new scheme to streamline and expand the Rural Procedural Grants Program (RPGP) and the Practice Incentives (PIP) procedural GP payment into a new rural generalist GP support program for GPs with advanced skills must support all forms of rural practice and never disadvantage the current rural GPs.
The AMA is in support of increased incentives for doctors practicing rurally and the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ should be the core of the new arrangement.
In its submission, the AMA acknowledges there is a significant need to define new program arrangements to ensure rural workforce incentives are aligned with the Rural Generalist pathway, consider the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report, and provide better incentives for GPs working in rural areas under a College-led training model.
The scheme should ensure that GPs who are already providing advanced skills in rural communities are also eligible for any new funds from expansion of the program.
