12 March 2024

The RACP is calling on the Federal Government to urgently fund a full suite of MBS telehealth items, fund involvement of physicians in Urgent Care Clinics to support primary care and increase Specialist Training Program places in rural and regional communities. These measures are to ensure vulnerable patients are not facing barriers to obtaining the healthcare they need.

The RACP says that current restrictions for initial physician consults to only be able to occur face to face are impacting some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

Physicians are particularly concerned about a range of priority groups at risk of disease, including rural, regional and remote communities, older people, as well as First Nations peoples – who are struggling to access specialist healthcare when and where they need it.

RACP President, Dr Jacqueline Small says “Timely access to specialist care is a key issue for many Australians and can have a wide range of impacts on people’s health.

“Forcing patients to meet face-to-face with a physician for an initial consult is a huge barrier for those who have to travel long distances. Almost a third of the Australian population are based in rural and remote areas where access to health care is already poor or sometimes non-existent.

“There are often cases where patients with one condition are referred to several different specialists, and having to travel to each of them for an initial visit is a major issue. Especially for those who are physically frail, in regional and remote areas or have limited financial resources.

“Delays in accessing care risk are making their condition worse, and untreated conditions could end up costing the healthcare system more in the longer term.

“There is a dire need in the community for the Federal Government to support improving access to specialists for everyday Australians – and key ways to do this is to expand MBS telehealth items, fund involvement of specialists in Urgent Care Clinics to support primary care and increase Specialist Training Program places in rural and regional communities to support primary care and ensure that healthcare is easier to access for all.

“We must do more to ensure that vulnerable patients can continue to access healthcare in this cost-of-living crisis.

In a pre-budget submission, the RACP is calling on the Australian Government to:

• Fund a full range of initial, subsequent and complex MBS video and telephone-based specialist items on a permanent basis, including via Practice Incentive Payments covering all consultant physicians to promote uptake of telehealth models of care and the delivery of integrated care.

• Fund new models of telehealth and remote service delivery, including virtual care and remote monitoring, linking secondary, primary and urgent care settings, including telehealth hubs in rural, regional and remote areas.

• Fund videoconferencing technology packages to support capability building for patients, focusing on priority groups such as people living with disability and patients in aged care and rural, regional and remote areas.

• Provide appropriate long-term funding for:

1. Urgent Care Clinics, MyMedicare and team-based care models involving physicians for patients requiring multidisciplinary care.

2. Ongoing evaluation of and reporting on Urgent Care Clinics and MyMedicare

• Expand and enhance the Specialist Training Program (STP):

1. Increase the number of STP places in rural and regional communities, including in paediatrics, community child health and other sub- specialties for which there are shortages.

2. Increase STP incentives and improve flexibility in medical specialty variations in the recently introduced rural training requirements.

More information can be found in the RACP’s 2024 Pre-Budget Submission here.