{"id":5611,"date":"2021-10-22T09:11:19","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T23:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/?p=5611"},"modified":"2023-01-19T09:14:26","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T23:14:26","slug":"health-of-the-nation-2021-the-current-shape-of-general-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/health-of-the-nation-2021-the-current-shape-of-general-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Health of the Nation 2021: The current shape of general practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

The RACGP\u2019s annual report taking the pulse of general practice around the country has been released. Here are the key themes and reactions to this year\u2019s findings.
\nThe 2021 Health of the Nation report draws on the responses of 1386 GPs.<\/strong>
\n________________________________________
\nThe latest annual General Practice: Health of the Nation report has landed, taking the temperature of general practices across Australia and highlighting the challenges they face.<\/p>\n

The ongoing burden of the pandemic, mental health concerns, pressures on recruitment \u2013 particularly in rural and regional areas \u2013 and telehealth are among the prominent themes of this year\u2019s report, which draws on the responses of 1386 GPs to a survey carried out this April and May.<\/p>\n

The appeal and job satisfaction of working as a GP is also laid out in detail, with the career largely viewed as highly rewarding, despite the recent difficulties. While an increasing number of GPs say they are less likely to recommend a career in general practice compared to 10 years ago, almost three-quarters of those surveyed (73%) say they are satisfied with being a GP overall.<\/p>\n

Parliamentarians of all sides also contributed pre-recorded messages for the report\u2019s launch, which took place on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt paid tribute to the \u2018extraordinary work\u2019 carried out by GPs under the leadership of RACGP President Dr Karen Price in the face of what he called \u2018the greatest health challenge we\u2019ve seen since the Second World War\u2019.<\/p>\n

Minister Hunt also cited telehealth as a \u2018structural change\u2019 and said future planning will include a focus on three elements: voluntary patient enrolment, the transfer of training responsibilities for GPs to the RACGP and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, and recruitment in rural areas.<\/p>\n

Shadow Minister for Health Mark Butler called the report \u2018an incredibly important source document for policy makers and for the general community to understand the work of general practice in keeping our community safe\u2019. He also commended the \u2018extraordinary contribution\u2019 of general practice during the pandemic, and highlighted \u2018the frank and honest engagement\u2019 he has had with the RACGP since returning to the health portfolio earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Adam Bandt, the leader of the Australian Greens, thanked the RACGP for its policy engagement.<\/p>\n

\u2018As a begrudging member of the least trusted profession speaking to the most trusted, can I just say how grateful I am for your contributions to the big issues in public debate,\u2019 he said, while also welcoming the RACGP\u2019s position on climate change.<\/p>\n

\u2018Your efforts in speaking out around the health impacts of the climate emergency have been powerful.\u2019<\/p>\n

Watch the introductory message from RACGP President Dr Karen Price<\/p>\n

Key themes: Managing COVID<\/strong>
\nThe management of the COVID-19 response is covered in the report, with the biggest issue by some margin being cited by GPs as \u2018managing patient expectations about vaccinations\u2019.<\/p>\n

It is among the main concerns of 59% of GPs who took part in the survey. More than a third (37%) also reported finding a financially viable way to provide COVID-19 vaccinations as one of the big challenges.<\/p>\n

\u2018Repeated changes to vaccine eligibility requirements left many patients confused and frustrated and unfortunately some took this out on general practice staff,\u2019 Dr Price said following the report\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n

\u2018Governments at every level must have nimble communication channels into every general practice to manage the changes required to allow for small business planning and adaption.<\/p>\n

\u2018We can\u2019t be put in the position where our patients are informing our staff of the latest changes or even worse, arguing with us over new guidelines and recommendations.\u2019<\/p>\n

Dr Price also made an urgent call for Federal Government support in tackling a looming health crisis, with a spike in COVID-19 cases ahead.<\/p>\n

\u2018General practice could alleviate pressure on emergency departments and hospitals<\/a>,\u2019 she said. \u2018But currently, it is in the same position, only we will [also] be managing COVID-positive patients or \u201clong-COVID\u201d patients in the community and without the backing of hospital infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u2018Government must act now to ensure GPs are funded to do this essential in-community, and in some cases, in-home care.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mental health<\/strong>
\nThis continues to be the most significant health issue encountered day to day by general practices around the country.<\/p>\n

More than 10% of the population received specific MBS-supported mental health care in 2019\u201320, almost twice the rate of the previous decade. Most of the services (82%) were provided by a GP.<\/p>\n

The report also notes these figures are likely \u2018an under-representation of the true magnitude of mental health presentations to GPs, as the longer consultations required for these presentations are often billed as a general consultation rather than under a specific mental health MBS item number.\u2019<\/p>\n

The mental health impact on GPs themselves is also flagged, with more than one in every two of those surveyed reporting their wellbeing had at least one negative impact due to the pandemic.<\/p>\n

An increasing number (38%) said their work\/life balance deteriorated in the past year, a pattern that is even more acute in rural and regional areas, where 44% of GPs reported the trend.<\/p>\n

Aged care<\/strong>
\nThe report underlines GPs\u2019 important role in providing aged care services<\/a>, with those over 65 years representing almost 30% of consultations despite only accounting for 16% of the population.<\/p>\n

However, the report also identifies \u2018significant barriers\u2019 to GPs\u2019 work, including in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). GPs said support \u2013 including better MBS remuneration, fewer administrative burdens, more clinical staff in aged care settings and improved IT infrastructure \u2013 would help enable greater involvement.<\/p>\n

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island health
\nThe report reflected growing interest among GPs to work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, with 56% of respondents saying they had a particular interest in the space. That compares to 44% among other specialty trainees.<\/p>\n

RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Chair, Professor Peter O\u2019Mara, said the report \u2018offers us hope for the future\u2019 but also highlighted significant access challenges.<\/p>\n

\u2018Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people tend to have more complex medical needs and need culturally safe care for this to be successful,\u2019 he said. \u2018However, Medicare doesn\u2019t adequately fund the longer consultations, non-face-to-face care, co-ordination and flexibility required.<\/p>\n

\u2018Adequate resourcing is crucial in order for general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to continue to provide high quality care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people\u2019.<\/p>\n

There is growing interest among GPs to work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. (Image: Menzies School of Health Research)<\/p>\n

He also said it was \u2018critical\u2019 to ensure higher rates of COVID-19 vaccination among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, following devastating recent outbreaks.<\/p>\n

Rural general practice<\/strong>
\nOne positive message from the report is that interest in working in rural general practice is strong in the next generation of GPs, despite the well documented recruitment challenges for the area. A total of 59% of GPs in training said they were interested in rural practice, which is more than other specialists in training (40%).<\/p>\n

The report also found more GPs in rural and regional areas manage patients with several health conditions \u2013 or multimorbidities.<\/p>\n

RACGP Rural Chair Dr Michael Clements said there is a lot of work ahead to ensure rural Australians have the healthcare they need.<\/p>\n

\u2018While we are making gains, we have a long way to go,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018It should be a priority for government because we are talking about people\u2019s lives \u2013 access to high-quality healthcare is essential to living a healthy, happy life.<\/p>\n

\u2018Clearly, we need to do more to incentivise and adequately renumerate GPs to train and live in rural and remote Australia.\u2019<\/p>\n

Telehealth
\nOne of the ongoing success stories emerging from the pandemic, telehealth has become an area of healthcare with \u2018high rates of satisfaction\u2019 among GPs and patients alike, the report notes.<\/p>\n

Some changes are reported from the 2020 survey. Phone consultations made up 17.1% of all GP attendances in May 2021, down from a one-third in April last year, the report states. There has also been a fall in GP attendances using video, from 1.3% of all telehealth consultations in April 2020 to 0.29% by May 2021.<\/p>\n

More than one in every two GPs (53%) said they have spent more than they first budgeted on technology for telehealth consultations.<\/p>\n

Funding future general practice<\/strong>
\nThe biggest policy priority found in the report is the issue of funding, with 49% of GPs surveyed citing Medicare rebates among their top three priorities.<\/p>\n

\u2018Genuine reform in the sector is required,\u2019 writes Dr Price in an introductory message to the report.<\/p>\n

\u2018A great place to start would be putting general practice on a more sustainable, long-term financial footing.\u2019<\/p>\n

The decreasing proportion of healthcare funding going to general practice is another cause for concern, Dr Price believes.<\/p>\n

\u2018At a time when we are needed by our communities more than ever, the share of total government healthcare spend for primary care is in decline,\u2019 Dr Price said.<\/p>\n

\u2018Funding for GPs and general practice services is less than 8% of total health expenditure, yet we provide more than twice the number of episodes of care a year than hospitals, and all at one-sixth of the cost.\u2019<\/p>\n

The original article on the RACGP website can be found here:https:\/\/www1.racgp.org.au\/newsgp\/racgp\/health-of-the-nation-2021-the-current-shape-of-gen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The RACGP\u2019s annual report taking the pulse of general practice around the country has been released. Here are the key themes and reactions to this year\u2019s findings. The 2021 Health of the Nation report draws on the responses of 1386 GPs. ________________________________________ The latest annual General Practice: Health of the Nation report has landed, taking…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":5613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[52,39],"tags":[49,50],"class_list":["post-5611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-information","category-news","tag-gp","tag-health-of-a-nation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5611"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7874,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5611\/revisions\/7874"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/5613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpsmedical.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}