While primary care is primarily a federal responsibility, state governments also benefit from a strong general practice sector.
The AMA Queensland is calling for the state government to apportion more funding toward general practice training and workforce initiatives ahead of the Crisafulli government’s first budget.
Queensland’s state budget is due to be handed down in June, following a somewhat dismal mid-year fiscal and economic review in January.
According to the AMAQ, growing the clinician workforce is “indisputably the most critical priority” for health.
Other initiatives on its pre-budget wishlist, released earlier this week, include funding for an Indigenous interns pathway, action on elective surgery wait times and mandatory leadership training programs for hospital and health service executives.
Supporting the health workforce is where GPs come in.
“Whether it be in our hospitals, specialists’ rooms or general practices the same plea is being rung out – we need more doctors and we need them yesterday,” the submission said.
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Queensland was one of the first states to introduce a GP training grant program; it currently provides $40,000 grants to junior doctors who enrol into a Queensland-based GP training program.
Without further funding commitments, the incentives program is set to wind up in 2026.
“Historically, the federal government plays a role in general practice based on the MBS, but it is the private sector the majority of the time,” AMAQ president Dr Nick Yim told The Medical Republic.
“There have been discussions of the single employer model … [funding for that model is beneficial because] for those doctors in training who want to stay under the public sector, it enables them to do so.
“The other element is recruitment incentives.
“We know that health workforce does not work in silos, it requires a team arrangement.
“If we can bring any health workforce into Queensland, and that includes doctors, nurses, allied health, that will help boost up our workforce.”
Dr Yim acknowledged that workforce recruitment was a competitive space and he called for incentives that could speak directly to Queensland’s specific shortages.
“In regional and rural Queensland, there are [deficient numbers of] GP obstetricians and GP anaesthetists,” he said.
“Incentives to train in those areas will be highly beneficial to fill in those workforce gaps.”
Under the banner of primary-tertiary integration, the AMA branch also proposed that the Queensland government establish a permanent part-time senior executive GP liaison role to embed and represent general practice at a senior level.
The role would allow GPs to advise on the most appropriate methods to integrate tertiary care with general practice and the impact of legislative amendments on general practices.
