The AMA says funding, regulatory and digital barriers are preventing residents from accessing timely and coordinated healthcare.
The Australian Medical Association has called for significant reform of residential aged care, warning that systemic barriers are preventing older Australians from accessing regular GP care and contributing to unnecessary hospital admissions.
In a new position statement released today, the AMA said Australians living in residential aged care homes “deserve access to high-quality, coordinated medical care that reflects their individual needs, goals, and preferences” and argued that GPs must remain central to the delivery of care.
Federal AMA president Dr Danielle McMullen said the system was failing both residents and doctors.
“The current system is badly fragmented and, as is unfortunately often the case, it is patients who suffer as a result, with the system failing residents when they are at their most vulnerable,” Dr McMullen said.
“GPs have often known their patients for many years, but we are seeing a breakdown in care once patients enter aged care homes because of lack of funding, regulatory barriers, and poor interoperability between digital systems.”
The position statement says entry into a residential aged care home “should not diminish a person’s access to medical services” and that continuity of care “must be preserved through access to a medical practitioner”.
It argues that GP-led multidisciplinary teams are essential to delivering high-quality care, with general practice nurses, pharmacists, geriatricians, psychiatrists and allied health professionals working together to support residents.
The AMA said residents benefited most from maintaining a relationship with their usual GP and that doctors should remain “central to care coordination, assessments, and decision-making”.
The organisation is also seeking changes to funding arrangements, saying current Medicare and incentive payment structures do not adequately recognise the complexity of providing care in aged care settings.
According to the position statement, “funding models must reflect the complexity and time required to deliver high-quality care in aged care settings”, while Medicare Benefits Schedule rebates “must be increased to recognise the clinical complexity and significant non-contact time involved in aged care”.
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Dr McMullen said existing funding arrangements were driving doctors away from the sector.
“GPs want to continue caring for their patients in aged care facilities, but current funding arrangements and regulations make it extremely difficult and financially unviable to do so.”
The AMA also called for changes to the Aged Care Act and quality standards, arguing they should better support access to GP care through a collaborative model.
“Ensuring residents can access regular and planned GP visits benefits patients and would move us away from the ineffectual crisis-driven care we currently see, which is detrimental for patients and has significant flow on effects to the rest of the healthcare system,” Dr McMullen said.
The association warned that inadequate access to primary care in residential aged care is contributing to avoidable hospital demand.
“The absence of preventive GP-led care results in many unnecessary hospital transfers and admissions. This places pressure on public hospitals and exacerbates problems such as ambulance ramping, pushing aged care residents into hospital when care could be provided safely where they live.”
The position statement also called for greater investment in digital infrastructure, warning that fragmented systems were undermining care coordination. It stated that “investment in digital infrastructure is essential to support interoperability between general practice, RACH systems, and public hospital imaging” and argues that My Health Record is “currently not fit-for-purpose for aged care”.
The AMA further warned that the regulatory environment was discouraging doctors from remaining involved in aged care, stating that “the current regulatory environment is contributing to a growing reluctance among GPs to remain engaged in the sector”.
The association is seeking investment in integrated care models, workforce development and aged care training, arguing that a sustainable GP workforce is essential to delivering long-term, high-quality care.
“If aged care residents had regular access to their usual GP and an adequate registered nurse presence in their facility, these issues could be avoided,” Dr McMullen said.
“The AMA wants to see investment in integrated care models, fair funding, modern digital infrastructure, and sustainable workforce strategies so aged care residents receive high-quality care.”
