GPs push AMA to take hard line on health reforms

The AMA federal council will be scrutinising voluntary patient enrolment, fundholding and pay for performance after delegates at the association’s National Conference supported two urgent motions on Saturday.

Introducing his motion on Friday, Queensland GP Dr Shaun Rudd called on the AMA to condemn “attempts to procure voluntary registration and wholesale doctor patient fund-holding as unwarranted bureaucracy and a hazard to quality care”.

 “The most important thing to me is an autonomous doctor patient relationship,” he said. “It [voluntary patient enrolment] is the worst thing that could happen to general practice.”

Dr Rudd took aim at the new diabetes scheme, which he argued went “straight through the heart of autonomous practice”.

Last month MO reported that only 13% of GPs felt that the new diabetes model would improve patient care. Among concerns expressed by GPs were that the new scheme would undermine the fee-for-service model and reduce GP choice for patients.

South Melbourne GP Dr Tony Bartone also found support among delegates for his urgent motion that called on the federal council to “urgently review the AMA’s efforts to address the threats posed to general practice”.

He called on the council to mount a public campaign in the lead-up to the next election to combat reforms that “significantly threaten” the doctor-patient relationship.

Both motions were voted through by delegates and will now be considered by the federal council.