The pilot program which saw GPs working in outpatient clinics was cut short despite the initiative’s proven benefits.
Tasmanian doctors have vented their frustrations over the controversial axing of a successful GP pilot initiative.
The pilot had GPs working in outpatient clinics that were highly successful in reducing waitlists for general practice.
Announced in 2022, the pilot employed primarily specialists GPs on short term contracts to trial new methods of increasing accessibility to care.
The controversy over the program’s demise has arisen less from the cancellation but from how the pilot was cut short with little explanation.
Dr Tim Jones told media this week he had about three weeks left to run on his contract when he received an email stating that the contract would not be continued for any GP in the program past the contract end date.
The lack of explanation shocked many of the GPs involved in the program who have said that the pilot was helping to make significant inroads in the efficiency of outpatient clinic appointments.
Dr Jones’ work in paediatrics as part of the pilot saw him consult with over 200 patients. He was able to reduce the average appointment wait time from three years to less than four months.
Appointment efficiency also saw a significant increase with the number of visits needed to fully address a presenting concern drop from up to five to less than 1.5.
Related
The cancellation has sparked further confusion after the Tasmanian government’s announcement that it was following suit with other states on integrating ADHD care into general practice.
“The current government has announced that they plan to expand the scope of GPs in Tasmania, similar to what NSW, South Australia and WA are doing, to increase the number of GPS providing ADHD care to people directly,” Dr Jones told The Medical Republic.
“But that doesn’t address any of the other areas where specific interest GPs were trying to make a difference.
“They’re working across a very broad spectrum of our hospital clinics, trying to make them more effective and more efficient.”
Dr Jones said the move had been counterproductive for the touted push for more collaborative care in medicine.
“I guess the concern from mine is that it takes us a step backwards in hospital, clinics and GPs working closely together to improve efficiencies of care,” Dr Jones told TMR.
“I feel desperately sorry for my colleagues who continue to work in those clinics, because they really didn’t have anywhere near enough resources to do the job that’s been asked of them, and I worry what it’s done already to wait times in our state.”
