GENERAL PRACTICE GETS SHAVED

AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, this week questioned the wisdom of the Government's estimated $170 million in cutbacks to general practice. "These cuts to general practice seem contrary to the Government's stated focus on strengthening primary care," she said.

Funding has been shaved across the board and re-directed to 31 GP Super Clinic projects. The previous funding was intended to invest in all general practices across the country. The GP Super Clinics are just specific," she said.

"The AMA maintains that this money will need to be well targeted at areas of need and must add to - rather than replace - local health infrastructure if it is to be effective."

"The Rudd Government has cut highly successful incentives for immunisation (paid through the Service Incentive Program) and rationalised grants for after-hours service so that funding will no longer be available to establish new facilities. Funding to support E-health has also been cut."

Dr Capolingua said the Government also cut funding for the pre-vocational GP training program that was designed to give young doctors a taste of general practice and encourage them to consider it as a long-term career option. This program also supplemented the GP work force.

With fewer than 30 per cent of Australian graduates choosing general practice as a career cuts to programs for pre-vocational training are not helpful. Dr Capolingua said that, if Government wanted to deliver better primary health care services, it needed to ramp up the number of GP training places. According to the Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee, Australia needed around 1,000 new GPs per annum, yet only 600 training places were set aside each year.

Dr Capolingua said, "Most importantly, this Budget failed to increase the indexation of the Medicare rebate for patients to keep pace with the cost of providing care. This places upward pressure on patient out-of-pocket expenses."

To view the AMA's Access Economics Health and the 2008-09 Federal Budget Report click here.

PROVISION FOR GP MRI

The AMA has welcomed the Budget funding provision for limited GP MRI referral. However implementation of the measure still requires approval from the Minister for Health and Ageing. The AMA is continuing to pursue this objective.

DR ROSANNA CAPOLINGUA TO SERVE SECOND YEAR AS FEDERAL AMA PRESIDENT

AMA President and Perth GP, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, will serve a second year as Federal AMA President.

Dr Capolingua was re-elected unopposed at close of nominations this week.

This is Dr Capolingua's second term as President of the Federal AMA, effective from the close of National Conference on Sunday 1 June 2008.