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The following articles have the tag AGPN
“THE profound difference between what was and what will be in 2013 is the regionality of the provision of health care and the involvement of communities.
THE AGPN will charge membership fees to discourage Medicare Locals from being members and will make a claim to remain part of United General Practice Australia, the GP who plans to resurrect the shelved divisions body said last week.
THE AGPN will charge membership fees to discourage Medicare Locals from being members and will make a claim to remain part of United General Practice Australia, the GP who plans to resurrect the shelved divisions body said yesterday.
HUNTER GP Dr Arn Sprogis has won the boardroom vote to become Australian Medicare Local Alliance’s first official chairman, declaring he would continue the fight to give the new organisation responsibility for all primary healthcare funding.
HUNTER GP Dr Arn Sprogis has won the boardroom vote to become Australian Medicare Local Alliance’s first official chairman, declaring he would continue the fight to give the new organisation responsibility for all primary healthcare funding.
AFTER electing its first board the new Medicare Locals body has begun the search for a CEO, calling for someone prepared to be “measured by the success of the MLs operating throughout Australia”.
AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic says he holds no ill will after being denied a seat on the board of the national Medicare Locals (MLs) body he created, saying he’s already focusing on his next challenge - hospitals.
AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic has missed out on a seat on the first elected board of the national Medicare Locals body he set up, AML Alliance.
EVERY general practice will be able to access a publication spelling out the benefits of employing nurse practitioners in general practice this month.
NURSES are being encouraged to get their thinking caps on to be in with a chance to win one of five $20,000 grants.
ALMOST half the directors of Medicare Local boards are GPs, MO can reveal, scuppering warnings from divisions, the AMA and the federal Opposition that the new primary health care bodies will sideline general practice.
A TURF war is looming in the wake of primary health care reform, with state based organisations (SBOs) eyeing a restructure to allow them to accommodate Medicare Locals, while at least one general practice division is working to become a larger body supporting disenfranchised GPs.
DIVISIONS are keeping themselves alive despite all their Commonwealth funding now going to Medicare Locals amid hopes a coalition government will abolish MLs and restore government support for the former GP bodies.
DIVISIONS are keeping themselves alive despite all their Commonwealth funding now going to Medicare Locals amid hopes a coalition government will abolish MLs and restore government support for the former GP bodies.
THE former head of AGPN’s transition team has revealed he was surprised by the animosity between some divisions expected to merge into MLs and says he should have taken a more “tailored” leadership approach to overcome it.
THE Medicare Locals body last week linked the AGPN’s limbo to the federal government and health department as the stand-off over its wind-up looked set to continue indefinitely.
THE AGPN’s paralysis is the culmination of a reform beset by the federal government’s poor communication, inconsistency and inadequate consultation with key players regarding the transition to Medicare Locals.
THE standoff over the AGPN’s future is continuing, with members refusing to back its plan to hand assets to the Medicare Locals body and corporate governance experts warning directors could be personally liable if they allow it to trade insolvent.
AGPN has been left scrambling to determine its future after a motion to wind up the company and transfer its assets to a new Medicare Locals body was defeated by its division and state based organisation members.
THE AGPN would be forced to stay in business without funding, staff or even any work to do if a revolt against its longstanding plan to transfer its business to a new national Medicare Local body succeeds.
Interim chair of the new Australian Medicare Local Alliance (AML Alliance) Dr Arn Sprogis discusses his urgent and ambitious agenda with Byron Kaye.
A STATE-BASED organisation overseeing GP divisions has accused the AGPN of using members’ money to set up a new Medicare Local body and showing “blatant disregard” for both the wellbeing of divisions and good corporate governance.
The AGPN’s new Medicare Local body has issued a strong rebuke to Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton after he gave his clearest signal yet that the Coalition will abolish MLs if elected to government.
DR Arn Sprogis, the outspoken AGPN director who criticised the organisation for its handling of the Medical Locals (MLs) rollout, has been appointed interim chair of its new ML body.
ESTABLISHING a quality nurse clinic and ensuring it serves the needs of the patients is behind the Australian General Practice Network’s latest project.
THE number of scholarships offered to general practice nurses for professional development has been slashed without warning during the past year.
A STOUSH has erupted between Dr Emil Djakic and the department of health after the AGPN chair accused the government agency of putting the future of Medicare Locals (MLs) at risk with its “arduous” and “protracted” contract negotiations.
AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic has blasted the department of health, warning its “arduous” and “protracted” oversight of Medicare Locals is wasting time and leaving the reform vulnerable to a “direct threat” from a future coalition government.
MO asks experts for their opinions on the clinical or political issues making headlines.
THE AGPN is set to form the national body to oversee Medicare Locals (MLs), tasked with building a link between the new primary healthcare hubs, hospitals and government.
The AGPN has delivered a critical assessment of the federal government’s draft roadmap for mental health care, calling it “too narrow in focus” and saying it “lacks adequate acknowledgement” of GPs’ role in mental health care.
AGPN has been awarded the contract to form the national body to oversee Medicare Locals and create a link between the 62 new primary healthcare hubs and the federal government.
WITH Christmas almost upon us, it is fitting that AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic talks in terms of communal dining to articulate his vision for the primary healthcare body in 2012.
THE health department has been accused of giving “mixed messages” after publicly declaring the importance of GPs in Medicare Locals, then shelving one division’s ML bid because of fears it would have too many GP directors.
THE Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA) plans to form a partnership with Medicare Locals (MLs) to fight smoking, binge drinking and obesity, the agency’s new CEO has told the AGPN national forum.
THREE general practice focused vaccination programs are set to share in $80,000 worth of grant funding as part of an adult immunisation program being run by pharmaceuticals manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline.
A STATE-BASED organisation (SBO) overseeing GP divisions has questioned whether AGPN can lawfully switch its assets to the new national Medicare Locals (MLs) body without first putting the move to a member vote.
HEALTH Minister Nicola Roxon has given GPs a guarantee that every cent saved through the controversial cuts to the Better Access scheme will be reinvested elsewhere in mental health services.
A FORMER GP leader has been hailed as an “innovator” and handed top honours at the HESTA Primary Health Care Awards this week.
THE Federal government has unveiled the second and third rounds of Medicare Locals, this time giving winning division-led bodies two months to prepare before changing over from 1 January.
CHILDREN’S mental health visits to GPs have risen dramatically under the Better Access program and cutting the rebates would leave the profession’s role in child mental health care in doubt, new research suggests. An analysis of Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) data by the research project’s own authors also suggests GP involvement in child psychology has become less prescription-focused under Better Access as the family doctor plays a more active ongoing role in the mental health care of young Australians. The study, published in the latest Australian and New ...
THE new era in primary healthcare through Medicare Locals (MLs) will bring a new mindset as well. Primary healthcare colleagues across the nation will become part of a system of accountability that will increasingly influence the type, frequency and availability of health services for ML regions. Over time, the changes will also increase the ‘cross-pollination’ of the medical, allied health, aged care and social care sectors that is fundamental to promoting real health. The reform task ahead requires leadership that understands the objectives and the outcomes to be achieved – socially and economically responsible healthcare that ...
GPs at a division awarded one of the first Medicare Locals contracts have warned the Federal Government that they will “walk away” from the deal if they are forced to give up control on their boards. Medical Observer understands the contracts, sent to many of the first 19 winning bidders in recent weeks, explicitly state the Medicare Local (ML) must have a board of 7–10 directors with no single profession dominating. NSW division, GP Access, is involved in one of the first tranche of MLs, and currently has six GPs among its eight ...
A SENATE inquiry has called on the Government to close a loophole in its health reform legislation that leaves the door open for the National Health Performance Authority to potentially assessing individual general practices. The call follows a recent Government promise that the authority would not assess individual GPs despite consumer groups advocating for GPs to be compared on a My School-style website. However, a number of submissions to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee inquiry pointed out the original draft of the performance authority legislation remained vague on which bodies or organisations providing healthcare services would be ...
THE AGPN has downplayed fears it will become a fundholding body for Medicare Locals ahead of a vote by divisions that will determine whether the organisation continues to operate after July next year. AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic has confirmed he will ask the 111 divisions to vote next week in favour of a change to the organisation’s constitution to allow it to continue operations as an overseeing body for the new primary healthcare hubs. But MO understands some divisions have indicated they will vote against the change due to concerns the new body would ...
In the battle for the Budget, Byron Kaye looks at this year’s top priorities.
NEW Zealand’s most influential GP has delivered a stark warning to the Australian Government as it prepares to unleash the first Medicare Locals: Don’t make the same mistake the NZ Government did. Dr Peter Foley, chair of the New Zealand Medical Association, said Australia must learn from the hugely unpopular introduction of Crown Health Enterprises – similar to Australia’s Medicare Locals (MLs) – which he said had failed to ensure adequate GP leadership. “If the [Australian] Government truly regards general practice as central to the delivery of primary healthcare… then this position must not be undermined by ...
THE Gillard Government has come under fire for failing to consult GPs about the fund-holding role of Medicare Locals (MLs), with doctors now calling for reassurances that the new bodies will only be able to directly fund primary care services in cases of “severe market failure”. Announcing the new guidelines for MLs, Prime Minister Julia Gillard last week flagged the new bodies would evolve to take on a greater fund-holding role. “I also want to make sure that Medicare Locals over time become fund-holding organisations… so if there isn’t enough of a particular service available, Medicare Locals ...
THE Federal Government has today begun accepting applications from GP divisions and primary care organisations to form its new Medicare Locals (MLs). Meanwhile, new guidelines for establishing MLs, released by Prime Minister Julia Gillard as part of the Invitation to Apply process launch, have been welcomed by the AGPN as further clarifying the roles the new organisations will play in ongoing health reforms. AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic said the guidelines announced today by Ms Gillard and Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon provided "tangible steps for the network as it transitions from the divisions of ...
The Gillard Government’s decision to increase the number of Medicare Locals (MLs) has received a mixed reaction from the divisions of general practice, with some claiming it will stymie and delay health reform. As part of the revamped COAG deal, Prime Minister Julia Gillard raised the number of MLs beyond the planned 57 to ensure the organisations were more responsive to community needs. But AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic said the decision would result in weaker, less effective organisations. “Creating a larger number of what will be less capable organisations with a dilution of funding and ...
THE Gillard Government’s decision to increase the number of Medicare Locals (MLs) has received a mixed reaction from the divisions of general practice, with some claiming it will stymie and delay health reform. As part of the revamped COAG deal, Prime Minister Julia Gillard raised the number of MLs beyond the planned 57 to ensure the organisations were more responsive to community needs. But AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic said the decision would result in weaker, less effective organisations. “Creating a larger number of what will be less capable organisations with a dilution of funding and ...
PRACTICE nurses can learn how to help patients exposed to domestic violence at a free training course.The Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) says there are simple measures practice nurses can take to assist women and children experiencing family violence. AGPN is running Domestic and Family Violence Training (DiVeRT) courses in all states in the first six months of 2011. The courses are free for practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers, with travel subsidies available for those who live in rural, remote and metropolitan areas three to seven. The DiVeRT courses will help nurses develop skills to ...
DIVISIONS of general practice working in flood-affected communities have welcomed a further $1.3 million in funding for Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS), but warn more will be needed to cope with the ongoing trauma and mental distress of the flood victims. The additional funding, announced yesterday, will be available to divisions of general practice dealing with flood-affected communities. The Acting Minister for Health and Aging, Mark Butler, said the Federal Government had no doubt the floods would cause lasting mental health ramifications for some residents in flood-affected areas. “Trauma reactions to natural disasters, such as ...
THE Federal Government has backed down on another health reform proposal with the announcement it would delay the removal of Practice Incentive Program payments (PIPs) for after-hours care until mid-2013. The Government had planned to scrap the PIPs in July 2011, in preparation for Medicare Locals (MLs) to take on full responsibility, including funding, for after-hours services. The plan caused widespread anxiety among GP groups, who warned that with the new bodies not set to be fully established until mid-2012, removing the PIP funding would decimate after-hours care. RACGP president Professor Claire Jackson was pleased the ...
DIVISIONS of General Practice have expressed concern about how Medicare Locals will be funded, with fears Government contracts will not allow adequate flexibility to respond to local needs. In response to a recently released Federal Health Department discussion paper detailing plans for the new organisations, the AGPN has warned the Government against dictating how Medicare Locals are to spend government-allocated funding. “Funding contracts that are too restrictive and program driven, as opposed to being needs driven, will stymie the ability of Medicare Locals to design programs and service models that address the specific needs of their local communities,” the ...
FEDERAL Health Minister Nicola Roxon has moved to reassure GPs that no practice will be worse off under proposed health reforms, after facing a grilling from doctors at the AGPN National Forum. During a heated question time, Ms Roxon conceded the Government would need to revisit some of its more unpopular health reforms, specifically the diabetes scheme, the practice nurse incentive payment and the after-hours grants. “There are some teething problems and tweaking that needs to be done,” she said. Ms Roxon said she was aware that a “small number” of practices might be disadvantaged by ...
FEDERAL Health Minister Nicola Roxon has moved to reassure GPs that no practice will be worse off under proposed health reforms, after facing a grilling from doctors at the AGPN National Forum. During a heated question time, Ms Roxon conceded the Government would need to revisit some of its more unpopular health reforms, specifically the diabetes scheme, the practice nurse incentive payment and the after-hours grants. “There are some teething problems and tweaking that needs to be done,” she said. Ms Roxon said she was aware that a “small number” of practices might be disadvantaged by ...
DELEGATES at this week’s AGPN National Forum will have the rare opportunity to take part in a citizens’ jury aimed at improving community engagement with divisions of general practice. A mock citizens’ jury of 15 members will be presented with expert opinion on how to ensure equity in healthcare for all, and will then be charged with forming recommendations as to how Medicare Locals should best spend the health funding they will be allocated. It is hoped the citizens’ jury – which will be formed from conference delegates – will provide insight into how to establish and ...
OUT of caretaker mode and down to business, Prime Minister Julia Gillard last week announced her new ministry, which includes changes to the Government's health portfolios. Nicola Roxon will stay on as Minister for Health and Ageing, telling the ABC's Lateline that she was keen to bed down the health reforms introduced during her last term. Her return was welcomed by AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic, who expected implementation of the reforms to be underway soon. "Over the past three years, we have seen a tremendous amount of planning and decision making; what is needed ...
THE Gillard Government must maintain its strong focus on primary health care and general practice, GP groups have urged. Both the RACGP and the AGPN have welcomed yesterday’s decision by Independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor to support the Australian Labor Party in a second term of office. The Independents’ decision means controversial reforms included in the National Health and Hospitals Network plan – such as the diabetes scheme and the new practice nurse incentive – remain firmly on the agenda. The rollout of the unpopular GP Super Clinics scheme also looks set to continue, ...
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UNDULY bureaucratic Medicare Locals could jeopardise the level of involvement GPs currently have with their divisions, a health systems expert has argued. Philip Davies, professor of health systems and policy at the University of Queensland school of population health, says that under the proposed Medicare Locals, GP engagement “will inevitably be reduced”. “We are moving towards less GP-led autonomy and more into Medicare Locals being part of a sort of Government health system,” he said. Professor Davies, also the former deputy secretary to the Federal Health Department, noted such trends had occurred in New Zealand and ...
BUILDING Medicare Locals on the foundations of existing divisions of general practice is unlikely to be a straightforward exercise, the Australian Health Care Reform Alliance has warned. In its submission to the recently completed Senate inquiry into the Council of Australian Governments health reforms, the alliance voiced concern that structural problems would hamper the evolution of the new bodies. “A funding organisation cannot allocate funds to itself or be comprised entirely of potential recipients of the funds,” the submission stated. There were also legal issues “inherent in the assumption that divisions will hand over their roles and ...
THE overarching plan for Medicare Locals has started to take shape, with the release of a new proposal for their geographical boundaries. According to the proposal, there will be 44 to 60 Locals, each covering populations from 250,000 to 500,000 people. The boundaries were originally put forward in a report commissioned by the AGPN; however, this will now be used by the Federal Government as the basis for consultation. Two options have been put forward, and in each case the Northern Territory and Tasmania would have just one Medicare Local, while NSW would have the most ...
KEY professional bodies have expressed their concerns with the health reform agenda at the Senate inquiry into COAG reforms relating to health and hospitals. Representatives from the AMA, RACGP, AGPN, RDAA and Doctors Action questioned the effectiveness of policy relating to super clinics, chronic disease management, funding models and the relationship between Medicare Locals and local hospital networks. Key quotes from the senate inquiry Hansard: Australian Medical Association AMA president, Dr Andrew Pesce said he was disappointed at the lack of evidence based policy around funding models proposed by the Government. “We ...
THE lack of a long-term vision for the new Medicare Locals must be addressed if the new bodies are to fulfil their potential, the AGPN has argued. In its submission to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee inquiry into COAG health and hospital reforms, the AGPN voiced concern at a “lack of an overall, longer-term vision” for Medicare Locals. There was also a lack of alignment between the outcomes these new bodies would be expected to achieve, and the authority and resources they would be handed to achieve them. “[Medicare Locals] require real authority, responsibility ...
THE Federal Government is facing an uphill battle to convince GPs that Medicare Locals are worthwhile, with a recent MO poll indicating that half do not see advantages in the new bodies. The national poll of 150 GPs revealed just 14% were on board with the pending transformation of divisions of general practice. The Federal Government has budgeted $290.5 million for the transformation. Eighty-three per cent of those surveyed did not believe the new bodies would lead to improved planning of primary health care services – a key objective of Medicare Locals. Seventy-two per cent ...
THE Federal Government’s plan to sink $416.8 million into a national network of primary health care organisations called Medicare Locals has been broadly welcomed by GPs, but concerns remain over their impact on existing services and patient care. Beginning next year, divisions of general practice will merge and transform into Medicare Locals, which will be responsible for improving and coordinating the delivery of primary care in local communities. Their first task will be to improve and coordinate after-hours services. They have been allocated $126.3 million to carry this out. AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic said the ...
GPs around Australia are being asked to send data on seasonal flu immunisations of children younger than seven years to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR). A spokeswoman for the AGPN said a request went out last week through divisions for GPs to add data on flu vacc-inations to information sent to ACIR on National Immunisation Program (NIP) vaccinations. This followed a request from the TGA, who along with the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance are investigating the spate of serious adverse events in children related to seasonal flu immunisation. “Practices are doing the ...
GPs and pharmacists were unable to see eye to eye last week following the Federal Government’s announcement of a deal that would allow pharmacists to supply patients with medications without a prescription. Acting national president of the PSA Grant Kardachi and AMA vice-president Dr Steve Hambleton share their views on medication continuance with Medical Observer. Do you think this is a reasonable agreement? Grant Kardachi: “[The agreement] appears to make reasonable sense from the pharmacy angle... When somebody has run out of a prescription and can’t get a new one in a timely manner ...
DOCTORS have voiced alarm over a new deal struck between pharmacists and the Federal Government that will allow chemists to dispense medication to patients after their prescription has run out. Under the finalised Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement, which takes effect from 1 July, pharmacists will be able to dispense a standard, one-month pack of oral contraceptive and cholesterol-lowering medications to patients who have visited their pharmacy for that medication in the past six months. Protocols to prevent patients from securing medication from multiple pharmacies are yet to be developed, but the Pharmacy Guild said the system would ...
OPENING up incentive grants to all practices and providing infrastructure funding are key to ensuring practice nurses become integral to every practice in Australia, GP groups say. The AMA, RACGP, AGPN as well as the Australian Practice Nurses Association (APNA) have strenuously lobbied the Federal Government to open up the Practice Nurse Incentive Payment to all practices. Currently only rural and remote practices and those in areas of workforce shortage qualify for the payment, worth up to $40,000 a year. The GP groups also want infrastructure grants for additional practice space. The pressure on the ...
The new primary care landscape is beginning to take shape, with the AGPN mapping out a possible 49 Primary Health Care Organisations (PHCOs) across Australia. The golden number was cited in a PHCO options paper obtained by MO and drawn up by consultants Carla Cranny & Associates, who were commissioned by the AGPN to develop an objective assessment of the number of PHCOs required. The consultants estimated the final number at between 44 and 55, but 49 was the preferred option. AGPN CEO David Butt said the final number of PHCOs would be the product ...
ONE in four GP practices operating without a practice nurse do so because they do not qualify for the associated practice incentive payment (PIP), an AGPN survey has revealed. The National Practice Nurse Workforce Survey found that, of the 2584 practices surveyed, 56.9% employed a practice nurse. Of those that didn’t, 24.4% attributed it to their ineligibility for the practice nurse PIP, while 17.3% cited lack of space. Only rural practices are eligible for the PIP, prompting AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic to renew calls for the Government to extend the incentive to all practices. He also ...
THE Federal Government has rejected claims from the AGPN that immunisation rates for four year olds have fallen since the decision to axe the immunisation SIP in 2008. Last week, the AGPN published a statement claiming the rate had fallen to a seven-year low of just 83 per cent. Immunisation rates for four-year-olds are measured from the 60-month mark. And according to AGPN, older figures previously published on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) showed that the immunisation rate was 88.92% in December 2008. This figure was based on immunisations in children aged 60 months or just ...
AGPN National Forum, Sydney FORMER bureaucrats are arguing that some divisions should remain in place to represent GP issues, despite a push for the network to evolve into larger primary healthcare organisations (PHCOs). Speaking at the recent AGPN National Forum, Philip Davies, professor of health systems and policy at University of Queensland, said he questioned the idea of all divisions evolving into the new bodies, arguing this could result in less support for general practice. The former deputy secretary of the Federal Health Department, advocated that divisions remain, regardless of whether the new PHCOs ...
FUNDHOLDING looks set to become a greater function of the new-look divisions, according to a blueprint devised by the AGPN. Drafted by AGPN chairs and CEOs at the start of last week’s national forum, the blueprint maps out potential roles the proposed primary healthcare organisations (PHCOs) could take if they evolve from existing divisions of general practice. The PHCOs were a key recommendation of both the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission and the National Primary Health Care Strategy external reference group. The Federal Government is yet to formally endorse the model. Speaking to MO ...
GPs appeared less than impressed with shadow health minister Peter Dutton’s unwillingness to discuss Opposition health policy at this year’s AGPN National Forum. Addressing the AGPN audience just ahead of Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, Mr Dutton declined to elaborate on the Opposition's plan for the health system, describing it only as a progressive picture for the future of Australian health. “We have spent the past 12 months working on a document that’s full of ideas but we will release that at a time when it suits us,” he said. He suggested this timing would be ...
THE AGPN is to be the conduit for 90 new project officer jobs funded by the Federal Government’s Close the Gap initiative, with the aim of improving Indigenous access to general practice. A major focus for the part-time and full-time positions will be to help practices create culturally appropriate care and support for Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. The project officers will also identify Indigenous patients already accessing mainstream services in order to better meet their cultural needs. “While Indigenous patients may choose to visit a general practice, because their Indigenous status often isn’t noted ...
PRICE hikes on cigarettes and alcohol to improve population health have won broad support from the medical profession, but GP groups and academics say doctors will need far more support to take on preventive health. Released just one day after the draft National Primary Health Care Strategy , the 307-page National Preventative Health Strategy outlines a series of measures to tackle illness associated with obesity, alcohol and smoking. While much of the strategy focuses on population-wide health measures, GPs have also been asked to take a greater role in preventive ...
LEADING GP groups hold differing views about the most efficient way to fund Australia’s massive swine flu vaccination program, which will see up to 21 million doses of the new vaccine administered. AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic proposed the existing fee-for-service funding system should be scrapped for the program in favour of a more flexible model that would see doctors receive block payments for undertaking the work. However, the move received a cool response from the RACGP, with president Dr Chris Mitchell arguing there was not enough time to negotiate such a system before vaccinations started in ...
OLD rivalries may be re-emerging between leading GP groups. Last week AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic criticised claims reportedly made by AMA president Dr Andrew Pesce that Federal Government plans to prioritise primary health care will not improve hospital care or waiting times. “What better way to stop bed blocking than by not having people in hospitals at all?” Dr Djakic asked. “We know about 700,000 Australians are unnecessarily hospitalised every year – they could be kept out of hospitals if general practice was properly supported.” The comments, emerging from an AGPN statement, came just hours ...
A UK nursing expert has issued a warning to all nursing groups in Australia: work together or the practice nursing profession could be harmed. Speaking at the Australian Practice Nurses Association’s (APNA) recent inaugural conference, Sue Cross, a senior research fellow in primary care at London’s South Bank University, said it was clear Australian groups were not working together. “It’s the one thing I’d really recommend Australia take on board. APNA, divisions and national nursing bodies all need to work as one... They need to be on the same page. I constantly hear about Australia being behind ...
A SUCCESSFUL mentoring scheme to help nurses feel comfortable and confident in general practice could be rolled out nationally after a successful pilot. The Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) has filed a report to the Federal Government that includes a recommendation that the scheme be funded for all nurses in general practice. The report follows a successful pilot program involving 200 practice nurses and division support officers. Mentors and nurses were paired, with support officers providing guidance and an ‘ear’ during both face-to-face and telephone discussions when nurses felt they needed support or advice. Participants ...
NATIONAL cervical screening rates have reached their highest peak in a decade, backed by growing use of practice nurse MBS items. New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has revealed that, in 2006-07, 61% of Australian women between the ages of 20 and 69 attended a cervical screening. Over the same period, claims on nurse Pap smear items 10994-9 increased from just over 1000 claims per month to more than 6000, with the upward trend continuing to a record of 8202 in February 2009. AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic said the figures ...
AS the dust settles on the interim report from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC), it has been interesting to reflect on the largely enthusiastic response from all healthcare groups to the commission’s recommendations. Despite Health Minister Nicola Roxon referring to the report as “radical”, it appears that most groups have welcomed the basic tenets of the NHHRC’s deliberations and consultation, and why wouldn’t they? The call is for better access, improved health outcomes for all Australians – particularly those currently disadvantaged – and for changes to the system to encourage a wellness, rather than ...
GPs have strongly rejected a controversial health reform proposal that could shift the focus of divisions away from general practice in favour of broader primary care. In a recent poll, more than two-thirds (67%) of GPs believed the plan to expand divisions of general practice into divisions of primary health care would not create better links between GPs and allied health staff, nor would it improve patient care. The plan emerged from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission’s interim report released last month. The national poll of 150 doctors – conducted for MO ...
AGPN CEO David Butt responds to calls his board should be sacked. Amanda Sheppeard reports. IT’S known as a Chinese curse, dressed as a blessing: “May you live in interesting times.” And new AGPN boss David Butt has certainly arrived in interesting times. It’s not only a crucial period in health reform. On the eve of the release of the AGPN’s final position statement on primary health care, simmering tensions in some divisions over whether the organisation has lost touch with grassroots GPs have exploded in calls for the board to be sacked ( ...
DIVISIONS should maintain control over their future role within the reformed primary healthcare system, according to the AGPN, and should not be pushed to adopt new structures against their will. In a submission to the National Primary Health Care Strategy External Reference Group, the AGPN advocated a “regional enterprise” model that would give divisions the flexibility to choose their structure and level of collaboration with other bodies. Under this model, some larger divisions could step up to become primary care organisations and directly provide services, while smaller divisions could choose to remain focused on general practice but ...
THE AGPN is facing ongoing dissent from its members despite efforts to abate divisions’ concerns about the board’s policy directions and governance. Northern Sydney General Practice Network chair Dr Harry Nespolon said his division had been contacted by AGPN board members following his recent calls for their resignations over claims the board had ignored its members’ interests. Northern Sydney recently opposed an AGPN position statement supporting the introduction of voluntary patient registration and a blended payment system based on capitation. “There are things like voluntary registration which we are never going to agree on – it is one of those big issues that we ...
AS yet more rumblings of discontent emerge from within the divisions, perhaps it is time for the AGPN to begin a frank discussion on exactly who it represents. According to the AGPN website, more than 95% of GPs are members of their local division, making the network “the largest voice for general practice in Australia”. A voice for general practice – clear enough, one would think. Unfortunately that might need a rethink. Last year, when quizzed about GP representation, former AGPN chief executive Kate Carnell told MO : “We are not a member advocacy group, ...
THE AGPN is facing a groundswell of opposition from within its ranks, with divisions now challenging its status as their representative body following the release of its latest draft primary health care position statement. A host of divisions are rallying behind the Northern Sydney General Practice Network (NSGPN), which last week accused the AGPN of pushing through a position statement that supported major changes to primary health care, with little recognition of the repercussions for GPs. The statement will inform the AGPN submission to the Primary Health Care Strategy External Reference Group, now headed by former AGPN ...
RURAL GP Dr Tony Lembke has been elected as the new NSW GP director to the AGPN board. Dr Lembke will take over the director position from outgoing AGPN chair Dr Tony Hobbs, who is vacating the dual roles of NSW director and board chair. A new chair will be elected at the network’s AGM in October. Dr Lembke, who is also clinical director of the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives, ruled out nominating for national chair, saying he would first concentrate on developing an understanding of the NSW role. The chair position will be fought between ...
AGPN chiefs have declared their intentions to ready the divisions network for a leading role in the reformed primary healthcare system. Speaking at the close of the four-day AGPN Forum in Darwin, CEO David Butt said there were significant opportunities for the divisions to expand their current role. However, before this became a reality, divisions would have to work together to iron out the inconsistencies in federally funded program delivery across the network, he said. “When we are dealing with the federal government that wants to roll out a national program, we need to prove to ...
DIVISIONS are “cementing” their place in the future of primary health care and are improving year on year, according to a new independent report. The annual survey on divisions of general practice, carried out by the Primary Health Care Research & Information Service, reported divisions were “advancing health service delivery” through community engagement, workforce support and prevention programs. Increasing practice nurses by 50% since 2004/05, delivering a fivefold increase in bowel cancer screening, and increasing type 2 diabetes activities from 77% to 88% year on year were all hailed as huge successes. But funding remained an ...
A CANDIDATE vying for a position on the AGPN national board has weighed into a stoush between the network and a Queensland division over the role of allied health professionals. Dr Arn Sprogis said he could “partly agree” with the concerns raised by GP Links Wide Bay chair Dr Paul Neeskens, who – as reported by The Age on 13 August – criticised outgoing AGPN chair Dr Tony Hobbs over recommendations for the introduction of physician’s assistants and prescribing rights for nurse practitioners. The recommendations were made as part of the AGPN submission ...
Outgoing AGPN CEO Kate Carnell’s penchant for pushing boundaries has earned her respect, even from her critics. Kathryn Eccles reports. EVEN before Kate Carnell walked into her new office at AGPN’s Canberra HQ four years ago, there were dark mutterings in GP Land about a pharmacist assuming responsibility for such a large GP organisation. And not just any pharmacist either. As a former ACT chief minister, the energetic Ms Carnell came to the job with plenty of political baggage. While well known for her ‘can do’ approach, her time in government ...
Kellie Bisset crunches the numbers of MO ’s annual survey on health reform. THE Rudd government has high hopes for its GP super clinics strategy, which it says is a key plank in building a stronger primary healthcare system. But the majority of Australia’s GPs remain firmly convinced that the $275 million plan to establish 31 clinics across the country is nothing but a big juicy lemon. It’s early days and negotiations are still underway on how the policy will be rolled out in each area. But the results of Medical Observer ...