The Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce – Scope of Practice Review report, released this week, contains many worrying traps the government must avoid.
The long-awaited was released this week and while it contains some positive ideas, we are concerned many of the recommendations appear to suggest Australia should adopt an NHS-style approach that has doomed primary care in the UK.
We issued a urging the federal government to take a cautious approach in its response to Professor Mark Cormack’s report, which includes several recommendations that would fragment patient care and undermine the key role of GPs.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said the government must resist implementing band-aid solutions to the GP workforce shortage that will only make the situation worse, as seen in the UK.
The final report recommends greater consistency in regulation across jurisdictions, which we support. However, decisions about standards of training and clinical practice must be made by independent, profession-led bodies, not politicians, as the report advises.
We will continue strongly advocating to government for meaningful reforms that improve access to care for the community.
