ADGP Federal Budget Submission 2005-2006
23rd December 2004
By: ADGP

ADGP yesterday forwarded a submission to the Department of Health & Ageing for the 2005-2006 Federal Budget.

Click on the link below to download the entire submission.

OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

ADGP is the national peak body representing the Divisions of General Practice Network, which links 95 per cent of GPs across Australia and facilitates and drives change in the primary health care sector.  The Network comprises eight state-based bodies and 120 Divisions of General Practice.

The community rates the health and wellbeing of children and families as a high priority.  It is clear that health policy and health financing will continue to be a major focus over the life of the new Parliament. ADGP supports a robust, GP-lead, primary health care system for Australia that delivers quality care to the community. 

The Divisions of General Practice Network has been vital in linking GPs with each other and the rest of the health system and have been at the forefront of many leading population health and health reform initiatives such as the General Practice Immunisation Incentives Scheme, the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative, the Aged Care GP Panels and the Nursing in General Practice initiatives.  

ADGP has welcomed election commitments by the Australian Government that are focused on improving the health and wellbeing of families and communities. Many of these build on the strengths of Medicare, as well as expand already world-leading primary care initiatives such has the role of nurses in general practice and the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative. 

Together the contemporary general practice setting and Divisions Network occupies a unique place in the Australian health system.  They are well placed to work with the Government to convert key health and social goals into action for the following reasons:

• Over 90% of the population sees their GP in any one year, making general practice an ideal health setting for health promotion, opportunistic and managed intervention and delivery of health gain
• Divisions offer an existing, well established national infrastructure through which a range of health and community initiatives can be introduced, and the state bodies can assist in integrating and linking national initiatives with state systems
• Divisions can bridge the Government?s health and social goals by bringing together health and community services on the ground
• Divisions have proven expertise and capability in introducing and managing change in primary health care and driving health system reform
• Structured practice teams and multidisciplinary care achieves better health outcomes. Divisions are the only national infrastructure actively working to build and promote primary care teams and to link Commonwealth, State and local government health services.  

The Australian Government already invests over $80 million in the Divisions of General Practice Network to assist the implementation of its health priorities.  The Government's election commitments foreshadow a number of priority areas in which the primary health care system can, and should, play a central role.

ADGP makes the following recommendations for the 2005-06 Federal Budget. The focus is on harnessing the capacity and capabilities of the Divisions Network to efficiently and effectively assist the Government deliver major new measures to the community.

Primary Health Care Policy

ADGP recommends that a national consultation be undertaken and workshop held to inform the development of a National Primary Health Care Policy and the work of the Health Taskforce    

($0.2 million over 1 year)

Population Health

Mental health

ADGP recommends that:

• SIP under spends should be redirected to allied health services and Divisional programs
• the additional $30 million over 4 years in the election commitment be allocated Divisions of General Practice to continue and expand existing allied health services, with appropriate funding formulae and guidelines to target areas of high need, particularly rural/remote and indigenous communities
• the $50 million over 4 years in the election commitment be allocated to Divisions of General Practice to establish allied health services for children and adolescents incorporating with established services where appropriate and to formalise local linkages and referral pathways with public mental health services
• funding of $ 2 million per annum to continue the National Primary Mental Health Care Network based at ADGP and the state bodies to continue to support a systemic, coordinated implementation of primary mental health care reforms and to link primary mental health care developments with other relevant Australian Government programs on the ground, such as drug and alcohol and suicide prevention
• funding of $ 3 million per annum to boost Divisional capacity to continue to provide education, training and peer support opportunities for GPs and other members of the primary care team, administer and expand allied heath services,  establish new services, and to support mental health promotion and prevention activities.

($100 million over 4 years)

Dementia Care

ADGP recommends that ADGP be supported to work in collaboration with Alzheimers' Australia and the Divisions Network to develop, test and implement a national dementia care multidisciplinary training package for GPs and other providers in the primary health care setting.

($4 million over 4 years)

Cancer Care

ADGP recommends that:

• Resources be allocated to the Divisions Network for the national roll-out of the bowel cancer screening program, including a national liaison and coordination role for ADGP
• Resources be allocated to the Divisions Network for the implementation of the Lifestyle Prescriptions GP training
• $4 million be allocated to support the development and Implementation of the smoking in pregnancy campaign through Divisions in association with the lifestyle prescriptions project, and to provide continued assistance to Divisions in relation to ongoing support, facilitation and GP education for QUIT and SNAP programs.

Indigenous Health

ADGP recommends the establishment of a Joint Working Group consisting of representative members of the Divisions Network and NACCHO to conduct a consultation, develop and identify models of engagement between Divisions and ACCHSs and convene a workshop to facilitate dissemination of these models. 
($0.4 million over 1 year)

Practice Teams

ADGP recommends the introduction of a new Medicare Benefits Schedule item number for a suite of 4-5 evidence-based preventative health checks to be provided by the practice nurse by or on behalf of the GP, including Pap smears.   

ADGP recommends support to rural Divisions of General to facilitate the training and support for practice nurses in rural communities who will be delivering Pap Smears and other preventative health checks for women.

A total of $ 0.85 million over 1 year) 

Workforce

ADGP recommends national and state capacity at ADGP and the State Based Organisations of General Practice to support and coordinate the implementation of Round the Clock Medicare in Divisions, particularly to assist Divisions establish sustainable local solutions, facilitate appropriate service agreements between after hours services and state health structures, and assist in the development of contracts between divisions and primary care providers of after hours services.

($0.5 million per annum)
 
Stronger Families and Communities

ADGP recommends the development and introduction of an early childhood initiative in general practice targeting parents of younger children with a range interventions such as consumer information and parenting tips, interventions by the GP in the primary care setting, and more intensive face to face preventive interventions in specialised clinical settings. 

 ($5 million over 3 years)

ADGP recommends that each regional and rural Division of General Practice be supported to facilitate the training and support for practice nurses to be able to act as a referral point for people experiencing domestic violence and to develop and maintain a contact list and referral pathway for use in general practice, of local services and support groups for people experiencing domestic violence.

($1.135 million over 1 year) 

ADGP recommends a national primary health youth agenda to support Divisions to provide local level solutions to youth health issues through: education, training and skills development for general practice with links to families and communities; up-skilling and support to GPs to better detect and respond to young people's complex health needs; and to provide capacity to the Divisions Network to take forward a number of innovative local projects based on prior successful models.  
 
 ($4 million over 4 years)

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