A new way to… support primary care
Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine
A multidisciplinary society of doctors, allied health, and public health professionals, advancing Lifestyle Medicine.
Poor mental health, the pandemic, an ageing population, natural disasters, burnout... add a waiting list to get support and you’re looking at the dire reality of general practice in Australia. It needs urgent attention and support.??
The Australian Government has set out plans to invest $970 million into primary care, $750 million of which will be allocated to strengthen Medicare over the next 3 years (1). The RACGP notes “the commitment has been earmarked to provide additional support for general practice chronic disease management, complex care, team-based care, and after-hours services” (2).
Mark Butler, who has been named the Minister for Health and Aged Care this week, will be chair of the ‘Strengthening Medicare Taskforce’ to make decisions around how the funding will be used. This will bring together health policy leaders to support healthcare practitioners and the public they care for.?
Why is this important??
In Lifestyle Medicine, we welcome initiatives that care for those who care for us. A 2020 study of Australian healthcare workers tells us nearly 60% experience anxiety, and over 57% experience mild to severe depression (3). Additional support services will help ease some of the burden on our healthcare workers. Of course, budget increases is only a step in the right direction.?
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Waiting times in emergency departments and waitlists to see GPs have adverse effects on the public, especially in regards to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Improving accessibility to General Practice and multidisciplinary teams, improving affordability, and decreasing pressure on hospitals will directly affect the public (4).?
ASLM welcomes the allocation of resources to improve our primary care system. As mentioned in the?ASLM Election Priorities Statement, greater emphasis needs to be placed on enhanced primary care teams including diverse workforce input (interdisciplinary), self-management support programs (e.g. digital therapies, health coaching support), increased integration with community organisations (e.g. effective social prescribing), and enhanced collaboration between disciplines (such as across primary care and between primary and tertiary care). Several of these items have been listed in the plans set forth by the Australian Government.?
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