Health Minister Mark Butler stated the variety of medical college students aiming to develop into GPs was on an “inexorable slide”.
“Perhaps the most terrifying statistic in the area of primary care is that now less than 14 per cent of medical graduates are choosing general practice as their career,” Butler stated.
“It’s not too long ago … that about half of medical graduates chose to be a general practitioner.”
Butler stated a scarcity of GPs means plenty of sufferers who do not want hospital remedy find yourself in emergency rooms.
“We know that about half of all emergency department presentations right now are classified as semi-urgent or non-urgent – about 4 million every year,” he stated.
“And many could and probably should be dealt with outside of hospital settings.”
“The emergency department ends up effectively as the lightning rod for every failing elsewhere in the health system.
“If you may’t get care in an aged care facility or in a normal follow, too usually you find yourself in an emergency division.”
Butler touted the release of the report of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce today.
But his announcement was short of funding commitments.
“We will reply to this report within the price range,” he said.
“We may not settle for each single advice proper now, however this can be a actually good set of suggestions.”
He said the $750 million pledged in the election was always intended for July.
But he said MyHealthRecord will get more money after its current funding arrangement ends in June.
“If we’re not capable of finding new cash to proceed the My Health Record, you will need to mud off your fax machines, as a result of the entire of the e-health system in Australia will fall over,” he said.
“This is only one of lots of of measures that we have talked about that had been solely part-funded by the previous authorities.”
But the prospect of getting more doctors into primary care was not a quick fix.
“I do know this isn’t a single-budget problem,” Butler said.
“I do know there can be extra to do.”
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Asked about an increase in the Medicare rebate, Butler said he was not ruling anything out.
In a follow-up question, Butler was asked if a rise in the Medicare levy was on the table, he said no.
He expressed openness to the thought of pharmacists being authorised to present prescriptions, however stated that call was not within the fingers of politicians.
Source: www.9news.com.au
