GP specialist register should include VR GPs: AMA

The Medical Board of Australia (MBA) will establish a specialist register of medical practitioners as part of upcoming national registration arrangements and this register will include GPs. The MBA is presently determining the criteria for including GPs on the specialist register.

The AMA has made a strong submission to the MBA recommending transitional arrangements to ensure that current VR GPs are included on the specialist register when it is established, along with FRACGP and relevant FACRRM qualified GPs. The AMA believes that any move to exclude VR GPs from the specialist register would be inequitable and create two classes of general practitioner – leading to significant division within the profession.

In its submission, the AMA recognises the importance of the FRACGP and FACRRM qualifications, and acknowledges that the transitional arrangements should be a one-off only, with the key criteria for the future inclusion of GPs on the register being FRACGP or FACRRM status.

This issue will not affect GPs’ access to A1 Medicare rebates. The Department of Health and Ageing has advised the AMA that the status quo will remain regardless of the registration arrangements. 

Read the AMA’s submission to the Medical Board of Australia here.

Coalition announces policy on hospital boards

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said this week that the Coalition’s policy announcement for local community-controlled management boards for major public hospitals in NSW and Queensland was a step in the right direction, but more detail on how the policy would roll out nationally was needed.

Dr Pesce said the AMA has for some time been calling for more clinical input to public hospital management at the local level as it would ensure that the clinicians who diagnose, treat and care for patients have direct input to the administration, management and funding decisions at the hospital level.

It was not clear from the announcement what the Commonwealth and State responsibilities would be in terms of funding and ownership of public hospitals. Dr Pesce said that the state of our public hospitals is a national problem that needs national solutions. There was no mention in the proposal of how to end the ‘blame game’ between the Commonwealth and the States. Read more.

The transcript of Dr Pesce’s interview on the Coalition plan for public hospital management boards on Radio 2SM is available here.

H1N1 vaccination program information for GPs

The Chief Medical Officer has sent a letter to all GPs providing an update on the H1N1 vaccination program. It includes an information brochure and a poster for patients. The final ATAGI-endorsed advice on interchangeability of overseas swine flu vaccines with the Panvax vaccine is available here.

AMACGP meets this weekend

The AMA Council of General Practice has its first meeting for the year in Canberra this weekend. Items for discussion include: MBS simplification; primary health care organisations; the Medical Board of Australia’s GP specialist registrar; GP practice nurses; and arrangements for collaborative care with nurse practitioners and midwives.

AMA on Twitter

AMA members who subscribe to "Twitter" can now use the social networking website to keep up to date with the latest AMA news and views and provide the President with feedback. Dr Pesce's Twitter address is http://twitter.com/amapresident