Wollongong patients are currently facing waiting lists of up to six weeks to see their family doctor, but despite being busy, some practices are losing so much money they are facing closure.
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This is the message from Wollongong GP Rowena Ivers, who says the next federal government must act quickly to fix general practice care in the Illawarra.
As Wollongong Hospital emergency department continues to buckle under the strain of high patient numbers and staffing issues, Associate Professor Ivers said GPs were also under pressure.
Across the region, there are a number of practices which have stopped bulk billing due to rising costs, and patients have reported that it has become almost impossible to get last minute appointments.
"There is immense pressure, most of my colleagues have a month to six week waiting lists... but in some cases they are literally losing money and having to close practices," Prof Ivers, a local council member for the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP), said.
"Trying to recruit GPs is hard, even getting GPs in from overseas at the moment is very difficult and there basically aren't any GPs to recruit. So you're very stretched.
"The Medicare payment does not cover the full cost [of GP appointments], and this is a federal government issue."
The RACGP, the professional body which represents GPs, has launched an election statement that calls for the federal government to lift Medicare rebates.
Currently, Prof Ivers says doctors have to absorb the costs of providing higher levels of care to their patients, as government payments have not kept pace with the cost of providing the service or with the cost of living.
"The freeze on medicare rebates has had a big impact, GPs have been able to absorb some of the costs, but they also pay rent, wages, accreditation insurance, at the same time there is increased demand from the public," Prof Ivers said.
"It's harder to do complex care, because the billing system values short appointments."
She said some of the pressures facing GPs has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but others - related to an ageing population, rising rates of chronic disease such as diabetes and more and more patients presenting with mental health concerns - had been adding to the system pressures for some time.
Prof Ivers said the RACGP wanted the next federal government to increase Medicare rebates for 20-minute and 40-minute appointments by 10 per cent, to give them time to address more complex medical issues with patients, and add a new Medicare item for longer consultations lasting more than 60 minutes.
She said these costs would easily be offset by taking patients out of the hospital emergency system.
"Investing in general practice care makes sense, a non-admitted emergency room presentation is estimated at more than $500 compared to a standard GP consult at just over $39," she said.
"We are also calling for the Government to put in place a system so that every patient has a GP consultation within seven days of an unplanned hospital admission.
"This will improve continuity of care, ensure the GP is across whatever health condition led to the patient ending up in hospital and reduce the chance of readmission - it's a win win for all concerned."
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