An update included in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook has been welcomed by the RACGP for both training and heart health investments.
After years of lobbying, GP and non-GP specialists will receive the same rebate for providing electrocardiogram (ECG) services from 1 March 2026.
The rebate equalisation has been a long-time position of the RACGP and other health organisations following a recommendation by the Electrocardiogram Review Committee back in 2022.
A cool $24 million over four years was included in December’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook to fund the initiative.
“This is a really common-sense decision to allow specialist GPs to get paid the same amount for recording as well as interpreting ECGs,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright told The Medical Republic.
“When the original change was made years ago, the college really did point out that it was a retrograde step.
“The numbers of ECGs performed by GPs dropped by around 2 million in the two years following that cut.
“It’s critical that patients have access to ECGs and [that] their GPs are properly remunerated, the same as any other medical specialist, for performing them.”
ECGs have long been a part of heart care in general practice with the non-invasive diagnostic tool used to record heart activity to better assess heart symptoms and as part of heart health risk screenings.
The 2020 funding cut that barred GPs from ECGs has been criticised by the RACGP for impeding patient accessibility.
“For GPs and for patients, this made no sense,” Dr Wright said.
“Why should patients have to book an appointment with another specialist, often with a significant gap fee, to perform a check that’s part of a GP’s normal practice?
“We don’t know how many ECGs were missed as a result.”
The MYEFO, which typically updates funding for measures previously announced, also included an investment of $14.5 million for 306 places in the Australian GP Training Program, just after another 200 places in the program was announced.
“Funding general practice gets results, and the decision to increase funding for GP training places beyond what was in this year’s Federal Budget shows the Government knows we can deliver,” Dr Wright said.
