The RACGP’s 2025 Health of the Nation report has been teased for next week with multidisciplinary care and healthcare costs taking centre stage in the analysis.
The RACGP Health of the Nation report, set to be released on 7 October, will reveal a sustained rise in patient costs and present further evidence to keep GPs at the centre of multidisciplinary care teams.
So far, the RACGP has released two teaser announcements for the incoming report with multidisciplinary care teams and tracking the cost of healthcare announced first.
Multidisciplinary care teams have been an especially prominent topic for the RACGP as the Australian healthcare system braces for an increase in chronic conditions.
“We know that well-resourced, general practice-led multidisciplinary teams can lead to improved patient health outcomes, and this is particularly important in an age where we are facing more chronic and complex health conditions,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright said.
“For example, if a patient is pregnant and has early signs of diabetes, being treated in a clinic where her GP’s team includes a midwife or obstetrician, a credentialed diabetes educator, and a dietitian, they can work together to ensure her care is coordinated and supportive.”
Released snippets from the Health of the Nation report have revealed that 91% of GPs back multidisciplinary teams, whilst 57% of GPs are already working in team care arrangements.
Multidisciplinary teams were also more prevalent in remote locations (63%), hospitals (72%) and very remote settings (72%), with First Nations health settings having the highest rate of multidisciplinary care (90%).
“The benefit of having allied health professionals embedded within the general practice care team means that my patients can actually see their providers within the single space, and they don’t have to travel,” RACGP vice president Dr Ramya Raman told The Medical Republic.
“What we are really sort of calling for is a sort of a better funding model to enable this to be more scalable.
“The patient is at the centre, and we want to ensure that we can do everything that we can to have the wraparound care for that patient.”
Another snippet released from the Health of the Nation report was that, even though bulk billing rates have stabilised, the cost of care has continued to rise.
This comes after the Annual Australian Healthcare Index Survey Report revealed a shift in attitude from patients seeing their GPs due to out-of-pocket costs.
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“People aged 15 to 34 remain most likely to delay care, putting them at risk of missing out on essential care for mental health concerns or early interventions to prevent chronic disease,” Dr Wright said.
“Between 2024 and 2025, the average fee for a 6–20-minute appointment, including the Medicare rebate, has increased from just over $78 to $82, leaving an average ‘gap fee’ of around $39.
“The statistics on cost of care and GP’s experiences with bulk billing in this year’s report give us an important baseline to benchmark the success of the Government’s upcoming bulk billing incentives.
“The Government has recognised the value of general practice through a significant investment in GP training and Medicare.
“But there has been some concern from GPs about whether the new bulk billing incentives will adequately cover the cost of the high-quality, comprehensive care their patients need.”
