There is No Substitute for Your Doctor
AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said today that some State and Territory Governments risk delivering Australia a second-class health system if they continue in their efforts to substitute doctors with lesser-trained health workers.
Dr Capolingua said that, despite repeated warnings from the AMA, task substitution is threatening equal access to high quality health care for all Australians.
"Task substitution allows other health care providers to independently attempt to provide services best performed by a medical doctor," Dr Capolingua said.
"It works against holistic primary health care and it works against continuity of care.
"It is an attack on the patient's ability to see a doctor.
"Task substitution is a knee-jerk reaction to workforce pressures in some areas. It is not a clever solution - it short-changes Australians.
"There is a better way - the AMA supports GPs continuing to lead primary care and using practice nurses and allied health professionals to support the care of patients in a team approach.
"Each member of the team has expertise in their area, which cannot be substituted by another who has not had the training and experience. The GP coordinates the aspects of the patient's needs that can be delivered by the different health professionals, optimising the use of their skills. The GP has the holistic overview, and the holistic knowledge base and training to provide the best outcomes for patients.
"The GP remains the primary care provider.
"The AMA urges patients to speak out against governments who would use task substitution to compromise patient care."
This week is AMA Family Doctor Week 2007 - a celebration of the hard work performed all around Australia every day by devoted GPs.
The Family Doctor Week theme this year is Your GP: Part of the Family. All this week the AMA will be highlighting the key role that GPs play in the life of every Australian family in all stages of life.