The college has continued its tour of state parliaments, bringing its parliamentary health check to South Australia.
South Australian parliament has received a visit today from a delegate of the state’s GPs, who are providing not only a health checkup but also advocacy for issues facing the state’s health system.
It comes after Western Australia’s RACGP branch paid a visit to its state parliament on Tuesday, also bringing an array of reform points.
The SA RACGP’s five-strong GP delegation provided standard health checks for state politicians whilst also providing needed check-ups on the state of improving South Australian healthcare.
Three reform priorities were brought to the SA parliament, along with plans to lead a discussion to progress ADHD reforms.
Workforce expansions and support were the common theme of the reforms, with one focusing on how to better attract overseas-trained doctors to live and work in the state.
“They’re an essential part of our workforce, and we know that we need more to plug the gaps,” RACGP SA chair Dr Siân Goodson told The Medical Republic.
“Whilst we continue to increase the numbers we’re training here in Australia, and unfortunately, what we see in South Australia is about half the number per capita joining our fellowship support programme than the eastern states.
“We really need to do all we can to advertise how wonderful South Australia is, and incentivise these people to come here.”
Helping SA residents access after-hours GP care was another key reform.
Using strategies already implemented in NSW to fund after-hours care was suggested by the WA RACGP on Tuesday, and the South Australian delegation followed suit.
“We’d like to see the government also on board with their proposal to provide that extra funding just to enable practices to open into the evenings and a bit more on the weekends,” Dr Goodson told TMR.
“We know there’s no substitute for the care received from a GP that knows you and your history, and that’s what we’ll be telling the government.”
Expanding support for workforce is also being proposed for rural and regional health with the proposal of creating easier pathways for metropolitan GPs to work with rural practices.
“It’s partly upskilling and making sure people have got access to training that will enable them to feel confident to go and work in regional or rural areas,” Dr Goodson told TMR.
“… What we feel is we’ve got a workforce in the city who might well be interested in forming a longer-term relationship with a practice in another location, getting to know patients in that location.
“So we can provide more continuity of care and then continuing to see via telehealth patients just to help out that practice once they’re back in their city location.”
