6 DECEMBER 2024
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Dr Pam Rachootin and the $ 500 sandwich
TWO IN THIS ISSUE
A GP ’ s plot to kill NEWS REVIEW , PAGE 40 |
Stanford prison experiment NEWS , PAGE 9 |
EDITORIAL PAGE 16 |
Medical and surgical abortion in the first trimester |
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HOW TO TREAT , PAGE 21 |
Google reviews ?
Dr Taylor Glover : From foster care to intern
NEWS , PAGE 6
Amid GP scepticism over his $ 800m urgent care clinic policy , Mark Butler goes online .
Paul Smith GP leaders are accusing urgent care clinics of providing inconsistent or non-existent clinical handover to patients ’ usual doctors .
The allegation is spelt out in a new position statement signed by the main groups , including ACRRM , the AMA , RACGP and RDAA .
It says the vast sum of money that federal and state governments are investing in the universal bulk-billing services is , in many cases , no more than a rebranding exercise of existing services .
“[ We have ] significant concerns that urgent care clinics are creating competition for an already stretched workforce supply of GPs and primary care RNs .
“ The clinics are inconsistent with the delivery of comprehensive and integrated primary care models , and reports indicate that clinical handovers from urgent care centres back to a patient ’ s regular GP practice are of inconsistent quality , if provided at all .”
Some 58 urgent care clinics
opened last year at a cost of $ 580 million over five years , with the Federal Government announcing it would spend a further $ 230 million creating another 29 .
However , the independent evaluation — expected to look at the type of presentations being dealt with , alongside the clinics ’ impact on ED pressure — will not be published until 2026 .
‘ The clinics are competing for GPs and nurses .’
There is still no robust information on whether they are easing ED pressures , the primary aim of the investment . But Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler has insisted the clinics are a major success , having delivered 900,000 consultations since starting last year .
In Parliament last month he was asked about the impact of the policy .
In reply , Mr Butler read out anecdotes from patients who PAGE 5
I moved to Cornerstone Health because it offered a better run operational model . You don ’ t have any operational worries ; my earnings grew by 20 % – all you have to do is practice medicine and you ’ re well remunerated for it .
DR ANNETTE MUNDAY Clinical Lead General Practitioner , Our Medical Gregory Hills