The RACGP has dropped a new position statement on rural mental health amidst recent senate discourse.
Coming after senate talks of new mental health clinic initiatives, the RACGP has launched a new position statement looking at the provision of mental health services in rural and remote Australia.
GPs’ significance in providing mental health services was the forefront of the statement, which emphasised that GPs are often the only accessible health professional in a rural context.
The college has also renewed its calls on all levels of government to improve mental health support and accessibility for rural and remote communities, along with a boost to patient rebates for longer GP consults.
A 40% increase to said rebates has been proposed along with a 25% increase in patient rebates for mental health item numbers.
More federal funding for GP training has also been recommended as part of larger workforce shortage reforms.
“The GP is often the first point of contact for people with mental health conditions, particularly important in rural and remote communities,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright told The Medical Republic.
The new statement has come at a pivotal time for Australian mental health care after further details on youth mental health centres were disclosed yesterday in senate estimates.
“The model development is happening now and will continue through to early next year,” Department of Health, Disability and Ageing assistant secretary of child, youth and priority populations Matthew Short told the estimates committee.
“The funding and phasing for the youth specialist care centres starts from 2026 to 2027 and is a three-year implementation phase.
“The rebrand of the eight existing early psychosis centres, and this is public, is the first four start in 2026-27 and then two in 2027-28 to 2028-29 and the new 12 centres with locations yet to be determined will be in 2027-28.”
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The RACGP Health of the Nation report, which was also released this week, showed that 71% of GPs responded that mental health concerns were the top reason for patient presentations, up 10% since 2017.
For rural areas, GP practices are already the central point of call for most medical treatment, leading the RACGP to push for greater infrastructural support.
“We know is that there isn’t enough funding going into mental health services in general,” college rural chair Associate Professor Michael Clements told TMR.
“Most rural hospitals and even big rural hospitals don’t have accredited acute mental health beds to manage psychosis.
“We know that people do find it difficult to access mental health care supports through psychologists and we and through other services, because the funding hasn’t been enough.
“It’s very difficult now, particularly in regional areas to find psychologists that accept the rebate from the better access to mental health care.
“The GPs in the rural areas are normally the first point of call for people that are seeking mental health help, and that can be anything from mild to moderate low mood and mood disorder all the way through to psychosis.”
