Australian Medical Association

GP Network News Issue 10, Number 9 - 19 March 2010, AMA welcomes investment in general practice training places, H1N1 influenza update, Draft clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of depression.

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.

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.

The AMA welcomes the decision by the Medical Board of Australia to include vocationally registered GPs on the Specialist Register of the new national registration scheme that takes effect from 1 July 2010.

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said the AMA last week wrote to the Board recommending that vocationally registered GPs be given Specialist General Practitioner status.

“The Board has made the right decision,” Dr Pesce said.

The AMA is urging the recently established Medical Board of Australia to ensure that the new national registration arrangements for doctors do not discriminate against 11,000 vocationally registered general practitioners.

The Board is currently finalising the criteria that will determine which GPs will be included on its specialist register.

The AMA has welcomed the decision by the Board to formally recognise GPs as specialists.  However, there is concern about reports in the medical press of a recommendation that only Fellows of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and some Fellows of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) will be recognised as ‘specialist general practitioners’.

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that such a decision would leave thousands of highly qualified GPs shunned and professionally out in the cold.

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.