GP Dr Preeya Alexander tells Q + A why general practice is collapsing .

current grapples with the GP crisis .

But it was left to Dr Preeya Alexander to explain one of the reasons the question was even being asked .

A GP in Melbourne , her response was to

“ That remaining 30 % goes to the clinic , so really , that is $ 12 to run the clinic .

“ But the cost of everything is going up : rent , electricity , administrative wages .

“ That is why the rebate is not enough to

“ Double it for rural , and triple it for remote .”

Mr Butler responded : “ I am not sure the Treasurer would be delighted by that idea .”

Ciara Seccombe LAST week , GP registrar Dr Shruti Yardi

break down for the viewers at home a bulkbilled standard consult for a non-concessional patient .

fund general practice .” It was a rare moment for the public arena to understand the financial mechanics of

As for his own view of the workforce crisis , Mr Butler said : “ General practice is undervalued , including by other doctors .

asked the panellists on the ABC ’ s Q + A why

“ We get $ 42.85 [ from Medicare ], and that

MBS item 23 .

“ I have heard stories of smart junior

she should bother with a career in general

gets split between me — the GP — and the

As the discussion continued , Dr Alexan-

doctors training in hospitals [ who ] have a

practice .

clinic ,” she said .

der explained that “ persistently and consist-

consultant look down their noses and say ,

The panellists included Minister for

“ I pay tax on it , and then I pay medical

ently ” undervaluing general practice was

‘ Why do you want to be a GP ? You could be

Health and Aged Care Mark Butler , who no

indemnity , AHPRA registration and my own

deterring young doctors from a GP career .

a surgeon or an anaesthetist .’”

doubt wanted to hear the answer given his

bills .

Independent MP Dr Monique Ryan , a for-

It was probably a fair stab at identify-

mer director of neurology at the Royal Chil-

ing some of the symptoms but not much in

dren ’ s Hospital in Melbourne , agreed .

terms of the policies he has to fix it .

“ I did not do general practice then , and I

Dr Alexander said it had been difficult

would not do it now ,” she said . “ Why would

for her to stay in general practice .

you ?

“ It is hard , complex work , although it is

“ You do not get maternity leave , you do

incredibly rewarding . I get to be there for

not carry leave from one GP allocation to

the highest highs and the lowest lows .

another and you are on $ 100,000 per year ,

“ But I do that two days a week .”

with at least $ 100,000 in HECS debt to carry

A medical student in the audience later

over .”

said he had seen patients lying on the floor

What was the Health Minister ’ s

in hospitals during his emergency medi-

response ?

cine placements .

He said he had “ no higher priority ” than

Dr Alexander responded : “ What you

general practice but that “ green shoots of

are seeing is a consequence of not invest-

recovery ” were evident in GP training num-

ing in primary care .

bers and bulk-billing rates .

“ If you invest in primary care and lift

“ In two years , we have raised the rebate

the rebate for GPs , and actually have it

more than the last government did in nine

reflect what it costs to deliver general

years ,” he said , not for the first time .

practice — which they say is around $ 102 —

“ That has not fixed the problem , but it is

people can come and see their GP .

injecting more money into Medicare .”

“ Investing in primary care is the

Former NSW Nationals MP Bronnie Tay-

solution .”

lor said Mr Butler deserved “ hats off ” for his

Mr Butler responded , speaking about

decisions so far but that the Federal Govern-

the wonders of his Medicare urgent care

Dr Preeya Alexander .

ment should raise the rebate higher . “ Double it and triple it is what I am saying ,” she said .

clinics but only got out a few sentences before Q + A host Patricia Karvelas wound up the show .

Rachel Fieldhouse SMARTPHONES should be considered a threat to the nation ’ s biosecurity , researchers claim , after they discovered that the phones of 20 doctors attending the WONCA conference in Sydney last year harboured some 2200 dirty secrets .

A Bond University – led team decided to swab the devices , identifying some 2200 different microbes , including 1229 viruses , 88 fungi and five protozoa .

Following DNA sequencing , they also discovered 124 genes for antibiotic resistance and 224 conferring virulence factors .

These included microbes belonging to “ notorious ” bacterial groups , such as resistant Staphylococcus aureus , Klebsiella sp ., Acinetobacter sp . and Pseudomonas sp .

“ Of particular interest , a single mobile phone was swabbed from an attendee from Australia , which harboured 11.5 % of all microbes retrieved ,” they wrote in Infection , Disease & Health .

The smartphones belonged to WONCA council members from nine different regions across the globe , including Europe , North Africa , South America and Oceania .

antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms and viruses , may act as platforms propagating superbugs , pathogens and non-endemic strains to other countries ,” the authors wrote .

‘ Phones act as contaminated mobile Petri dishes .’

Senior author Associate Professor Lotti Tajouri claimed the findings showed that phones acted as “ Trojan horses ”, posing a potential

threat to Australia ’ s biosecurity .

“ Mobile phones act as contaminated mobile Petri dishes , yet they are crossing borders without scrutiny ,” he said . “ This surely can complicate efforts .” He said it was imperative for healthcare settings to introduce methods of sanitising these devices — such as UV sanitisers — and for measures to be implemented at airports and harbours .

“ Protecting our biodiversity and reducing the spread of superbugs is critical not only for the economy but for our national security ,” the paper concluded .

Infect Dis Health 2024 ; 26 Sep .

Heather Saxena WHEN GP Dr Toby Gardner has a patient with haemochromatosis , he encourages them to donate their blood through Australian Red Cross Lifeblood rather than undergo therapeutic venesection .

So , he was taken aback when Lifeblood revealed last month that an estimated 73,000 bags of blood taken from haemochromatosis patients at GP clinics or pathology centres were being dumped each year .

A survey of 4000 haemochromatosis patients found that 40 % were unaware their blood could be used to save lives .

With the condition affecting around one in 180-200 people , Lifeblood has launched a campaign — backed by the RACGP — to boost donations , informing both patients and doctors .

Dr Gardner , RACGP Tasmania chair , said he had used the Lifeblood app for the past three years to calculate how often patients needed to donate to manage their condition .

He referred to a recent

Dr Toby Gardner .

patient who presented with very high iron levels and a family history of haemochromatosis . Genetic testing revealed she carried the haemochromatosis gene .

“ Based on her ferritin levels , the Lifeblood app recommended blood donation every three months ,” Dr Gardner said .

Australian Red Cross senior medical officer Dr Peter Bentley told ABC News that the geographical disparity around Australia in the percentage of haemochromatosis donors was thought to partly relate to “ custom and practice ” among doctors .

“ Mobile phones , as reservoirs of