The Australian Medical Association says a deal struck between country doctors and the South Australian Government as a major breakthrough.
After protracted negotiations, the AMA’s state branch has endorsed a new three-year Standard Rural GP agreement with Country Health SA.
SA president Doctor Patricia Montanaro said improvements included up to eight extra rural GP training positions.
“A doctor who trains in the bush stays in the bush,” she said.
She said that up until now, doctors were not being paid for training doctors.
“Now they will be able to train the doctors, the doctors will get the recognition and they will be able to be paid,” Dr Montanaro said.
The agreement also includes a new minimum payment for GPs left out of pocket for attending to road accident patients.
“These road emergencies take doctors out of their practices and away from their usual patients and they may not have been able to bill for those services,” Dr Montanaro said.
Other features of the agreement include the introduction of a 3 per cent fee increase when doctors provide certain emergency and other after hours services.
Country Health SA chief executive officer Maree Geraghty said the improved agreement is key to ensuring high-quality health care in SA’s 64 country hospitals.
“We have received important feedback from rural GPs about how the contract can better meet their need,” she said.
The AMA said it had been assured that GPs who had already signed contracts would not miss out on benefits of the new agreement.