Patients Win With GP Training Boost
AMA President Dr Rosanna Capolingua today congratulated the Government on its decision to increase funding for an important program that will boost the number of Australian-trained GPs.
"The AMA made it very clear that cuts to the Pre-vocational General Practice Placement Program in the last Federal Budget was poor policy and detrimental to patients getting access to GPs," Dr Capolingua said.
"I'm very pleased that the Health Minister has responded positively to the AMA on this issue.
"However, the Minister needs to realise that if she continues to criticise GPs as she did on the weekend, then she will be turning doctors off general practice, rather than encouraging them into these training positions.
"Doctors going through GP training, need to be confident that the Government is going to support the role of general practice in the future."
In May, Dr Capolingua called for the Pre-vocational General Practice Placement Program (PGPPP) funding to be restored, after the Government announced in the Budget that it was being cut by almost $30 million.
The PGPPP Budget cut reduced the program by one-third, to just 190 placements per year nationally. Health Minister Nicola Roxon today announced that not only would the lost places be restored but the overall number of places would be increased to 360 per year.
"With the number of medical school places being doubled, the AMA has repeatedly highlighted the need to expand the number of training places available for doctors once they have graduated," Dr Capolingua said.
AMA Council of Doctors in Training Chair, Dr Alex Markwell, today said the PGPPP was an important program to encourage medical school graduates to become GPs.
"The PGPPP gives young doctors a taste of general practice, and encourages them to consider it as a long-term career option," Dr Markwell said.
"More than that, it supplements the existing GP workforce and improves patients' access to GPs.
"PGPPP has an important role to play in providing these essential places.
"The AMA will continue to engage with the Government about the need to increase post-graduate training places in general practice and other areas, including public and private hospitals. This was a necessary remedial step to give work experience to junior doctors, now we also need more places for those doctors wanting to qualify and work as general practitioners," she said.
MEDIA NOTE - The AMA will formally respond to Minister Roxon's weekend speech tomorrow (Tuesday 23 September).
CONTACT: Kylie Butler 02 6270 5466 / 0417 652 488