Australian Medical Association

In this issue of GP Network News Issue 10 Number 8 - 12 March 2010: PM addresses AMA Parliamentary Dinner; AMA participates in 12th Annual Health Conference; Primary care debrief for pandemic H1N1 2009

GP Network News Issue 10, Number 7 - 5 March 2010, AMA responds to major health reform announcement, National clinical practice guidelines portal.

On 3 March 2010, the Commonwealth Government announced its National Health and Hospitals Network policy – the first phase of its health reform package. The first phase focuses on arrangements for the funding and governance for public hospitals and primary care.

The Prime Minister also foreshadowed in his speech further initiatives in the future concerning:

• the inadequacy of hospital bed numbers, including specific problems in emergency departments, elective surgery and sub-acute care;
• the expansion of primary care;
• the undersupply of doctors, nurses and other health professionals;
• the inadequacy of electronic health records across the system; and
• preventative health care, aged care, mental health and dental health services.

GP Network News Issue 10, Number 6 - 26 February 2010, Medical board responds to AMA call for recognition of VR GPs as ‘specialist GPs’, General practice pharmacies – a positive health reform for patients, AMACGP meets in Canberra, Nominations for election to AMA Federal Council now open.

GP Network News Issue 10, Number 5 - 19 February 2010, GP specialist register should include VR GPs: AMA, Coalition announces policy on hospital boards, H1N1 vaccination program information for GPs, AMACGP meets this weekend, AMA on Twitter.

The Medical Board of Australia, as part of incoming national registration arrangements, will be establishing a register of specialists. This register will include GPs.

The AMA has made a submission to the Medical Board of Australia recommending that when it formulates the criteria for inclusion on the new specialist register, it should put in place transitional arrangements to ensure that vocationally registered GPs are included on the register when it is first established. This would be in addition to Fellows of the relevant College.

GP Network News Issue 10, Number 4 - 12 February 2010, Comprehensive national plan needed to close the gap on Indigenous health, Changes to 10 year moratorium legislation passed, Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza: CMO writes to GPs.

GP Network News Issue 10, Number 3 - 5 February 2010, ‘Minor ailments’ not always minor, New health assessment items – using practice nurses, Aged care planning and investment needed to meet growing demand.

GP Network News Issue 10, Number 2 - 29 January 2010 Positive feedback on general practice nurses, AMA welcomes new body to combat rheumatic heart disease, Members recognised in Australia Day honours list.

GP Network News Issue 10, Number 1 - 22 January 2010, Strong focus on general practice in AMA Federal Budget Submission, AMA urges greater support for IMGs, Ask piercing questions about body piercing, ATAGI  flu dosage recommendations for children.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 43 - 18 December 2009. Doctors voted most trusted professionals in Australia, Joint statement on collaborative care, Map locator for doctors, Changes to DVA cards in 2010, Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year.

The Government, as part of the 2007 Election Campaign, made a commitment to reform and simplify the MBS for GPs.  From 1 May 2010, GPs will receive a higher Medicare rebate for spending more time with their patients.  For further information on the simplification and to view the Government's changes to MBS GP items please click here.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 42 - 14 December 2009 MBS Simplification – changes to apply from 1 May 2010, Time running out for free HPV vaccine.

National Minimum Terms and Conditions for GP Registrars for 2010

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 41 - 4 December 2009 AIHW General Practice Activity in Australia Report, Swine Flu Update, Review  of RACGP Standards.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 40 - 27 November 2009, Pandemic Planning Debrief, MBS Simplification, UGPA urge online claiming transaction support.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 39 - 20 November 2009, No time for complacency on swine flu – AMA, GP groups united on collaborative care, Scanning and storing electronic referrals and requests.

In this week's edition of GP Network News: Indigenous Health Report Card; AMA Federal Council meets in Canberra; Medicare rebate cuts; Scanning and storing electronic referrals and request.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 37 - 6 November 2009. AMA welcomes amendment to midwives and nurse practitioners Bill, Sick and vulnerable Australians hit hard by government health cuts, More support needed for people with disabilities and their carers, Member survey – electronic health records, H1N1 vaccine and pregnant women, Transitional Support Package expires at the end of the year.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 36 - 30 October 2009, Medicare rebate cuts, AMA:  Extra training places needed to help solve doctor shortage, New national registration laws off to a poor start, AMA urges Senate to pass preventative health agency bill, AMA Victoria GP forum, New GP clinical e-audit: review of proton pump inhibitor prescribing

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 35 - 23 October 2009 Changes to the 10-year moratorium rules – some glaring anomalies fixed, but more to do, Nurse practitioner and midwife legislation to be debated next week, MBS cuts, Survey of aggressive patient behaviour in Australian general practices, Survey of GP usage of modern communication applications.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 34 - 16 October 2009 AIHW medical workforce report – doctor numbers on the rise to face future health challenges, Public hospitals in decline nationally:  AMA Public Hospital Report Card 2009, H1N1 vaccine rollout:  latest advice on latex-containing syringes, H1N1 vaccine rollout:  reporting medical device faults, AMACGP meets in Canberra.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 33 - 9 October 2009 New market value regulations finalised for prohibited practices legislation, H1N1 vaccine rollout – latex allergies, Government responding to AMA and community concerns about primary care reforms, Medicare rebate cuts bring more (arthritic) pain to elderly Australians, Keeping GPs at the centre of primary health reform.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 32 - 2 October 2009, H1N1 vaccine rollout arrangements, AMA urges fast tracking of expanded intern training places.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 31 - 25 September 2009 Latest advice on H1N1 vaccination program, AMA writes to health minister on 10-year moratorium on IMGs, Reports highlight need for urgent action on problem drinking, AMA:  Doctors overwhelmingly doing the right thing by Medicare, AMA encourages GPs to have their say, Medical students to visit north-western NSW.

The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) has developed changes to the federal legislation which restricts access to Medicare provider numbers and effectively limits where international medical graduates and “former overseas medical students” can work for a minimum period of 10 years – the “10-year moratorium”. AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, has written to Minister for Health and Ageing to request that the proposed amendments be introduced into Federal Parliament.

Establishment of the Healthcare Identifier Service was agreed to by the Council of Australian Governments in 2006 as part of the national approach towards accelerating work on electronic health records to improve the safety of patients and improve efficiency for healthcare providers.

In July 2009, the Department of Health and Ageing released a discussion paper on legislative proposals to support the establishment and implementation of unique identifiers for healthcare purposes and the privacy of health information.

The AMA submission on the discussion paper is supported by the AMA Position Statement on Unique Healthcare Identifiers in 2008.

In this issue of GP Network News Issue 09, Number 30- 18 September 2009: AMA President Provides Update on H1N1 Vaccine Rollout Arrangements; AMA Wins Key Changes on Compliance Bill; AMA Presents PM with Priority Plan for Action; Have Your Say on Health Reform; PIP Aged Care Incentive.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 29 - 4 September 2009. Draft national primary health care strategy: GP role must not be watered down, Preventative health taskforce report: AMA supports national strategic approach to prevention, H1N1 immunisation roll out arrangements – AMA ensures GP voice is heard, Open letter to health minister – nurse practitioners.

GP Network News Issue 09, Number 28 - 28 August 2009 Extend cash incentives to nurses who want to work in general practice: AMA, H1N1 09 immunisation roll-out arrangements, AMA: NRAS Bill still fails the public interest test, Dr Pesce doorstop on the Preventative Health Taskforce.