Higher GP fees predicted to come with the federal government’s $3.5 billion Medicare cuts could cause patients to swamp hospital emergency departments in search of free care, doctors say.
Australian Medical Association vice-president Stephen Parnis said the federal government’s “attack on general practice” could lead Australia into a similar crisis gripping the British health system where hospitals are struggling to cope with demand.
Dr Parnis said cuts to general practice in Britain had caused patients to flock to emergency departments, triggering waits of up to 12 hours for care. Some British hospitals have been so overwhelmed during the winter months, they are urging people with non-life threatening illnesses to stay away.
“In the UK, there has been an explosion in demand for GPs – they are seeing 120,000 more patients each day than they were five years ago – but government funding for their services has plunged to an all-time low,” he said.
“If people can’t get in to see their GP, they will often end up at hospital, increasing to the pressure on already-strained emergency departments and greatly adding to the government’s health bill.”
A spokesman for the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Simon Judkins, said the Medicare cuts would undoubtedly cause some patients with an illness that could be managed by a GP to go to a free public hospital emergency department.
But Dr Judkins said he was most concerned about the potential for people with multiple illnesses, who need regular GP reviews, deciding they cannot afford them. If these people, such as those with diabetes and heart disease, stop visiting their GPs, they could fall so ill that they need emergency department care.
Victoria’s Acting Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos said the Medicare cuts would increase pressure on hospitals, which are already struggling. However, a spokeswoman for the Victorian government said it would not introduce a co-payment for emergency department care to try to offset demand.
From January 19, Medicare will pay $20.10 less for consultations lasting six to 10 minutes, as the rebate drops from $37.05 to $16.95.
The federal government is also freezing Medicare rebates until 2018, and from July it will cut all Medicare rebates for GP visits by $5.This means non-concessional patients are likely to face a $5 co-payment for GP visits of any length.
A spokesman for federal Health Minister Sussan Ley did not comment on the predicted impact on hospitals, but said the minister would continue to consult doctors and the broader community about the changes to Medicare.