Australia’s GPs are the Front Line of Primary Care

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PDF printable version of Australia’s GPs are the Front Line of Primary Care (PDF 25 KB)

19 September 2011

The following article by Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon was published today in the Medical Observer.

Every day those in medical centres across Australia experience the pressures associated with the rising levels of chronic disease, the greater complexity of patient presentations and the demands of an ageing population.

With around 75% of the population reporting that they have one or more current long-term medical conditions, doctors are seeing patients walking into their GP clinics with increasing frequency.

Our ageing population is compounding this situation, with nearly all people aged 65 years or older having at least one long-term condition and more than 80% of people in this age group having three or more long-term conditions. Often our GPs can find it difficult to link to the range and mix of local hospital, specialist and allied health services that patients need to be connected with.

We need to enhance primary care, support those GPs on the front line and better connect services for the consumer.

These are the aims of Medicare Locals and why they play such an important part in a reformed health system.

Medicare Locals are a more inclusive and responsive primary care model—they are developing local health solutions to local needs.

Medicare Locals will also work with a wide range of health professionals to better integrate and coordinate local services to improve care for the patient and support clinicians who provide that care.

Already the Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local is working with local GPs to deliver eHealth records across their region to assist elderly chronic disease patients.

The Western Sydney Medicare Local assessed local population health needs and service gaps and is focusing its early efforts on Closing the Gap for Indigenous Australians and tackling chronic disease through healthy lifestyle programs.

The Barwon Medicare Local in south-west Victoria has responded to the needs of local GPs and developed an electronic navigation portal that helps GPs identify local mental health services in order to provide patients with referrals that suit their time, cost and geographical needs.

There is no one-size-fits-all for Medicare Locals. What works in Western Sydney won’t necessarily work in Brisbane, which is why the locally run organisations are looking at the health needs of their community and targeting services to meet these needs.

The Government knows that nationally, communities need better access to after-hours GP care, chronic disease prevention and management programs and mental health initiatives, and these areas will be early priorities for many Medicare Locals.
Medicare Locals will provide new opportunities to improve primary care—new opportunities that GPs are perfectly placed to take.

All doctors want to keep Australians healthy, out of hospital and able to access the care they need close to home and when they need it.

Their role at the heart of our health system, gives them a unique insight into how to improve and better coordinate services.

Medicare Locals are there to support the front line of primary care and help hard working health professionals better meet the health needs of their community.

For more information, contact the Minister's Office on (02) 6277 7220