In a submission to the Productivity Commission, the college called for general practice-based pharmacist funding and longer consults.
The RACGP is once again calling for better MBS funding for long consults, more incentives for multidisciplinary care teams and more health assessment items – this time, though, it’s in the name of productivity.
In a submission to the Productivity Commission published this week, the college maintained that general practice is “the most efficient and effective part of the health system”, seeing close to 90% of the population each year while receiving around eight times less per capita funding.
The submission itself was a response to the commission’s interim report on delivering quality care more efficiently, which was released earlier this month.
While GPs were mentioned in the report, it tended to be within the context of Primary Health Network programs.
Two of the five draft recommendations mention PHNs. Both related to embedding collaborative commissioning within federally funded PHNs, state funded local health networks and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations.
The remaining three recommendations look at aligning quality and safety standards across aged care, the NDIS and veterans’ care sectors and establishing a national prevention investment framework to slow the escalating growth in government health expenditure.
The RACGP submission argued that general practice had a larger role to play in preventive healthcare, provided it had the correct funding.
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“Australia’s healthcare system is considered among the best in the world,” the submission said.
“However, it was developed at a time when acute medical conditions which required immediate attention were the main focus of healthcare.
“The system is not fit for purpose in a society where half the Australian population now have chronic health conditions.”
Increased investment in general practice, the college said, will bring about better health outcomes and long-term system savings through improved illness prevention and improved productivity.
One specific funding area that the RACGP pointed toward was a 40% increase to Medicare rebates for Level C and D GP consults.
This initiative alone is estimated to reduce health costs by $51.6 million per annum through early diagnosis and chronic disease management.
Other areas in need of funding that the college identified were multidisciplinary care teams, general practice-based pharmacists, health assessments that are available to patients of all ages and a social prescribing system.
The final report from the Productivity Commission is due to be released in December.
