Page 1316 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 25 March 2009
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very pleased to be debating the motion brought forward by Mr Hanson today relating to general practice. It is something that the Assembly has shown considerable interest in. It is something that the government is working very hard on; so we welcome the Assembly’s buy-in and constructive views around improving the community’s access to primary health care.
This is something that has been a key part of the ACT government’s overhaul of the health system. We want to look at how our primary healthcare sector works and how it relates to our acute health sector. That is why a large component of our rebuild of our health system involves a considerable reshaping and refocusing on our community-based health services that provide, outside of general practice, a number of primary healthcare services to the community.
Of course, the motion by Mr Hanson is politically targeted. That is clear from each of the different elements of the motion. I believe my colleague has foreshadowed an amendment to the motion and I would certainly encourage the Assembly to give the amendment to the motion due consideration when it comes on for debate. I think the issue of access to general practice is one that the community is concerned about but at the same time we in the ACT government and in the ACT Assembly have to understand the limitations that we have to influence GP numbers and how GPs conduct their business here in the ACT.
It is interesting that we have recent statistics from DOHA that show that the full-time equivalent number of GPs working in the ACT divisions has actually increased from 200 in 2004-05 to 232 in 2007-08. When you look at such figures, and then you look at what is happening in the community, it is hard to reconcile the situation because I think there is general agreement that if you do not have a general practitioner it is very difficult to get on the books of one.
This is where there is a long history to the shortage of our general practitioners in the community. If you talk to doctors, they will tell you that it stems very much from the restriction on doctor training places in universities. Some of that has been seen to be addressed, or it has been sought to be addressed. That was led by John Howard under the previous commonwealth government. It spent billions of dollars over a whole range of years to boost GP numbers and bulk-billing rates across the nation. However, we still face here in the ACT a situation that is not replicated across the country. Particularly in large metropolitan areas across the country, we have an oversupply of GPs and certainly much higher bulk-billing rates than we have here in the ACT.
The amendment to the motion that has been circulated, but not yet moved, seeks a tripartisan approach to inquiring into a whole range of issues relating to general practice. Indeed, my colleague Mary Porter is going to discuss this subject again later this evening. I think there is general agreement that further investigation into these areas is needed.
I have to say from the ACT’s point of view that when I look at the criteria in Mr Hanson’s motion I can honestly say that we have been undertaking investigation into all of those areas. I think the politically motivated one of GP closures since 2001 caught my interest. I note that there is not another item there that notes the sacking of
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