Wounds a Costly Sore Point for the Health System

The report — Solutions to the chronic wound problem in Australia — states chronic wound care is a poorly understood and under-funded public health issue, despite studies indicating chronic wounds affect 450,000 Australians and cost $3 billion each year. The report provides costed solutions to improve wound management in general practice and estimated savings associated with the proposed MBS items. 

The AMA is calling on the Commonwealth to provide more support for GPs to provide high quality wound care for patients through the establishment of a national scheme to fund medical dressings for chronic wounds and extra Medicare funding to cover the unmet costs of providing care for patients suffering chronic wounds. 

AMA modelling shows chronic wounds treated in hospitals place an additional burden on an already stretched system, with the AMA’s modelling indicating they resulted in close to 32,000 hospital admissions in 2019–20 costing $352 million and 249,346 patient days. 

AMA Vice President and GP, Dr Danielle McMullen said the AMA’s analysis shows investing $23.4 million over four years to deliver best practice wound care for diabetic foot ulcers, arterial leg ulcers, and venous leg ulcers would save the health system $203.4 million. “This is a no brainer for a government desperate to cut the deficit. I don’t know of many investments where for every $1.00 you spend, the return is $8.36, but this is the case with evidence-based wound care.” 

Dr McMullen said the plan would also improve access to GPs, with research showing additional Medicare funding for wound care would free up around 148,000 general practitioner consultations in the first year, and 162,000 consultations by the fourth year, making an enormous difference to patients. 

The AMA’s five-point solution 

• A Commonwealth-funded wound consumables scheme to subsidise the cost of dressings and other consumables provided in general practice for patients with chronic wounds. 

• The implementation of a stepped model of care for the management of chronic wounds, with improved access to other healthcare professionals involved in wound care such as podiatrists and dieticians, to form GP-led healthcare teams. 

• Three new Medicare items to facilitate the stepped model of care, including a Medicare item to allow trained practices nurses, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners or Aboriginal Health Workers to provide short-term treatment. 

• Implementation of a national education and training program on the prevention and management of chronic wounds, with access to the consumables scheme and extra Medicare support linked to completion of this education and training. 

• Improved coordination of wound care initiatives in the sector under a national program to reduce duplication of effort. 

You can read Solutions to the Chronic Wound Problem in Australia Report here.