Joint Statement - AMA and RACGP announce joint vocational registration initiative to boost medical workforce

Both the AMA and the RACGP believe this move will have a positive effect in keeping many non-VR doctors in the medical workforce and will mean that patients will receive the same Medicare rebate for the same service.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said that 'grandfathering' many non-VR GPs will encourage them to stay in the GP workforce and would encourage some of the additional non-VR GPs currently working in non-primary care roles to return to general practice.

"Australia is experiencing a serious medical workforce shortage which is being felt most in the area of general practice," Dr Glasson said.

"By 'grandfathering' many non-VRs we will see two instant benefits for patients.

"One, we will provide an incentive for many of those non-VR GPs currently working in general practice to stay and we will possibly entice others back to general practice.

"And, two, we will bring the Medicare patient rebate for patients treated by many non-VR GPs back in line with that received by other patients," Dr Glasson said.

RACGP President, Professor Michael Kidd, said the RACGP is concerned to ensure provision of optimal support to Australian GPs and to encourage participation in continuing professional development.

"The RACGP recommends that the General Practice Representative Group (GPRG) encourage the Commonwealth to instruct the Health Insurance Commission (HIC) to accept applications to join the Vocational Register from those GPs who were 'first recognised as medical practitioners prior to 1 November 1996' and who have practised predominantly in general practice for a total of five years or more.

"A large number of non-VR GPs would be covered by this action.  The RACGP welcomes responses to this recommendation."

The Medicare rebate for patients who see vocationally registered GPs is currently $25.05.  Patients who see non-VR GPs get back $17.85, a rate that has been frozen at 1989 levels. 

Many non-VRs GPs missed the previous 'grandfathering' opportunities to gain VR status because they were overseas or temporarily out of the workforce. 

Dr Glasson and Professor Kidd said the AMA and the RACGP have made this decision to highlight the urgency of the medical workforce shortage and to address the issue of discriminatory Medicare rebates for patients.

"It is all about the access and affordability of general practice services in Australia," Dr Glasson said.

"This recommendation recognises those committed doctors who have gained significant general practice experience and promotes the delivery of high quality general practice services to the Australian public," Professor Kidd said.

Contact:

AMA               John Flannery, 0419 494 761

RACGP:            Virginia Redding, 0418 390 098