Frank Wallner said the recent Federal government crackdown on after-hours home visits by doctors would see services like his suffer, and even close. It’s not good news for Radio Doctor Illawarra – nor for the more than 18,000 local residents who use the service each year.

Under the changes to Medicare rebates, announced by the government in its half-yearly budget update, junior and trainee doctors will be paid progressively less.

‘’From March 1, 2018, only specialist GPs will be able to access the higher rates for urgent after-hours visits,’’ Mr Wallner said.

‘’All doctors who work for us are fully qualified, registered and highly experienced doctors – they are the doctors who you might see at your local general practice or hospital emergency department – and they’re all working towards their specialist qualifications.

‘’But from March 1, these doctors won’t be able to access the highest rate which means the amount they’ll be paid will be cut by $30, or about 25 per cent.  Then from January 1, 2019, they’ll be cut by an additional $10.

‘’This is for after-hours work – for nights, weekends and public holidays including those over the festive season.’’

Recruiting doctors for these times was already difficult – and the changes would make it even harder Mr Wallner said.

‘’We provide a good service, one that has stood the test of time for 44 years,’’ he said. ‘’For the past year there’s been uncertainty around these changes and we’ve already lost doctors. How are we going to attract and recruit staff if they know they are going to making less. It’s a significant challenge.’’

Patients would also be unable to book an after-hours doctor in advance under the changes – previously bookings could be made from 4pm but after March 1, it will be 6pm.

‘’These restrictions will make it harder for us to prepare, to roster,’’ Mr Wallner said. ‘’If doctors are starting at 6pm when bookings start it has the potential to slow down the time it takes to actually get them on the road to see patients.’’

Mr Wallner said the demand for the service was only increasing and at peak times - such as the recent flu season – they had been forced to refer patients to already stretched hospital emergency departments. ‘’I think the government will regret making these changes as I think we will see further rises in low-acuity (less serious) presentations at EDs because of them.’’

However Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the changes followed a comprehensive review of the after-hours sector, conducted by the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Taskforce,

‘’The use of urgent after-hours items has increased by 157 per cent between 2010–11 and 2016–17,’’ Mr Hunt said.

‘’There is no clinical explanation for the large increase, but rather the growth has been driven by a corporate model of largely advertising on the basis of convenience, rather than medical need.

‘’The taskforce found that access to urgent after-hours care should be used only when necessary and that funding should be appropriate to the level of care being provided.

‘’The Medicare rebate will be adjusted to better reflect the qualifications of the doctor providing the urgent after-hours care to patients.’’

Mr Hunt said the changes had been welcomed by the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.