22 June 2022

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is calling on the federal government to make specialist telehealth items by phone a permanent feature of the healthcare system.

This follows reports that an extension past the June 30 deadline set by the former Morrison government is still uncertain. Currently several specialist, consultant physician and paediatrician services provided by phone are due to be cut off on June 30. These include consultations for the management of patients with complex and chronic conditions, assessments and treatment plans for children with autism, and other disability and geriatric assessments and management plans.

These are precisely the specialist services that enhance access for some of our most underserviced groups of the community – children with developmental disabilities, people with chronic and complex illness, and the elderly.

RACP President Dr Jacqueline Small says, “It’s disappointing that people are still at risk from losing access to flexible forms of medical care, especially where there are limited face-to face-options.

“What we’ve found during the pandemic is that people have been able to access care that they couldn’t previously due to telehealth. This is critically important to ensure that everyone in Australia has access to specialist health care regardless of where they live or their access to technology.

“If phone telehealth items are not made permanently available under the MBS it will be the elderly, those with less advanced technical knowledge, some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, some people living with disability, and people in rural and remote locations who will suffer.”

The RACP says that while face-to-face or video consultations are often the first preference, when these are not accessible many patients are at risk of losing access to healthcare altogether.

This can add to existing inequities in access to healthcare experienced by particular populations. Phone consultations are preferred by many patients or necessitated by patient-specific circumstances such as lack of access to quality broadband data, lack of confidence or capability in video software and technology, disability, geographical barriers, and inability to access in-person care.

“Telehealth proved to be a lifeline to patients needing medical attention during the pandemic. Taking the phone option away will be a wasted opportunity to keep underserviced communities and individuals connected to healthcare.

“Having a choice between quality telehealth, including phone telehealth, and face-to-face consultations widens the breadth of healthcare accessibility to those needing specialist care.

“If we reduce rather than grow telehealth options, we’ll be wasting some very important lessons from the pandemic.

“We call on the Federal Government to engage with us to ensure that our permanent arrangements for telehealth continue to increase access to specialist services for all Australians.” Dr Small says.