2024

9 AUGUST 2024 ausdoc . com . au

Insight

Dr Corinne Glenn GP in Melbourne , Victoria .

Opting for cheaper CPD homes is bad for general practice .

NATIONAL DOSING GUIDE FOR PAEDIATRICS Australia ’ s national independent dosing guide for medicine use in children .

DOSING SOLUTIONS Addresses the unique challenges of prescribing for children by providing evidence-based , peer-reviewed dosing recommendations for over 500 drugs .

COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION Provides details on drug treatments , off-label prescribing , adverse effects , and relevant practice points .

Medical indemnity insurance is always expensive , and then there are college fees as well .

For GPs with an income over $ 150,000 , RACGP membership is $ 1643 . ACRRM is the cheapest at $ 1375 .

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In contrast , membership of RANZCOG is $ 4018 .

For the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons it ’ s $ 4360 , while membership of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians is $ 2118 .

I have heard GPs state they are not going to renew their college membership . It is no longer necessary to remain on the specialist register , and there are cheaper independent CPD homes available through the AMA or private companies .

Yes , the cost of living is high , and the environment in general practice is tough .

I would argue , however , that not maintaining membership of our professional college is a false economy .

The RACGP is the body that represents our interests to government — both state and federal .

It is the RACGP that I rely on to talk to ministers on my behalf when politicians and bureaucrats make stupid decisions , like binning particular Medicare items .

I rely on the college to ensure that those who make the decisions understand the high skill set a specialist GP has and that these skills cannot be easily replicated by other health professionals . The RACGP was a very important part of ensuring payroll tax bills would not be retrospective in a number of states .

Don ’ t get me wrong , there are times when I find my college frustrating .

Going through the Practice Experience Program Specialist when I returned to Australia after spending time in New Zealand — having graduated from an Australian medical school and obtained my fellowship in New Zealand — was a frustrating , bureaucratic nightmare .

The payroll tax campaign placing an emphasis on bulk-billing was frustrating because bulk-billing is no longer viable for many GPs , particularly in the metro area , with or without payroll tax .

But without the college , we would not see even the smallest increase in Medicare rebates , never mind the tripled bulk-billing incentives .

I am hoping the college can ensure the continued existence of item number 2712 for the review of a mental health treatment plan .

I am also expecting the college will represent my interests as the Federal Government reviews gynaecological procedure item numbers , such as those for IUD insertions , which currently remain woefully inadequate .

General practice remains an integral part of our health system and needs to be performed to a high standard .

If large numbers of GPs turn their backs on the college and ditch their memberships , the college will not carry the same weight when eyeballing government .

If we think we are unheard or undervalued by the government , just imagine if we didn ’ t have the college in our corner .

I like to think my $ 1643 isn ’ t just a tax-deductible expense for a CPD home but an investment in the future of my profession and income .