AMA submission to consultation on modernising referral pathways

The AMA’s view is that the current referral framework, while imperfect, largely supports coordinated and clinically appropriate care. Targeted reform — particularly reform to National Health Reform Agreement rules that mean public emergency department referrals are not valid for private specialist Medicare billing — could improve access to care. If any reforms to referral pathways are made, they must be supported by government investment in digital interoperability, and secure messaging reliability: without digital integration, longer referral validity risks weakening communication between GP and non-GP specialists