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General practice week 2008
15 June 2008
AMA Victoria today launched General Practice Week (15-21 June) to emphasise the role that GPs play in making sure that patients get access to the health care services they need.
AMA Victoria Vice President, Dr Harry Hemley said supporting GPs was a priority for the AMA as they were central to patient care.
“GPs are leading the way to better health. The Federal and Victorian Governments must recognise and retain GPs as leaders of the primary health care team,” he said.
Each year the Australian Medical Association highlights the importance of general practice in our health care system. Right across the country, events are being held to promote GPs.
Dr Hemley said General Practice Week is very timely – with the Federal Government placing primary health care reform on the agenda.
“Any reform must be medically-driven. This ensures that patients are put first and foremost. Therefore, governments must support primary care and the general practice community.
Topics the AMA will highlight during General Practice Week include:
· Protecting GPs against violence;
· Encouraging more young doctors to take up general practice;
· Using GP Super Clinics funding for a better health outcome;
· Tackling chronic disease and delivering preventative health care;
· Cutting unnecessary red tape for doctors;
· Improving the use of general practice nurses; and
· Promoting GP services to aged care facilities.
General Practice Week will focus public and government attention on how fundamental and central the role of general practitioners is in the health of the nation.
“Eighty per cent of Australians visit their GP at least once a year. In Australia, we are lucky enough to be able to spend more time with our local doctor than people in comparable countries.
“Inadequately indexing the MBS, reducing funding for immunisation programs, cutting funding to pre-vocational GP training and failing to encourage general practice as a profession are just some ways the Government is failing to support better health for all Australians,” he said.
General Practice Week runs from Sunday, 15 June to Saturday, 21 June.
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