Medicare funding major concern as Natasha Fyles heads to national cabinet

Chief ministers and premiers will discuss changes to Medicare funding at national cabinet. But a NT doctor is sceptical it will help our staffing shortage “crisis”.

Reforming Medicare will be the focus for Chief Minister Natasha Fyles alongside other state and territory leaders at this week’s first national cabinet meeting of the year.

But the boss of a leading GP body said it would do little to help the NT’s “crisis’ levels of staffing.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners NT chair Dr Sam Heard said a national response was needed to tackle these issues, and the focus should be on remote health.

“We need something radical,” he said.

“It’s important for there to be pathways for people from urban centres to spend some time there to see what need there is and contribute.

Dr Sam Heard said Alice Springs is suffering from a massive shortage of doctors and nurses. Picture: Supplied

“Those initiatives have fallen by the wayside and it’s going to take a while to build them up again — Medicare isn’t going to help that.”

Dr Heard said the staffing issues, particularly in Alice Springs, had been “brewing and brewing” and the situation doctors and nurses now faced was not being able to provide services because of the shortages.

The Northern Territory currently has the third lowest rate of bulk-billing doctors’ clinics in the country.

He said alleviating them with short-term fixes wasn’t the solution.

“The community doesn’t want to be looked after by locums … that’s really disruptive,” he said.

“We need more commitment.”

Ms Fyles said she would be advocating for changes to the funding model that would benefit all Territorians.

“Modernising Medicare is important, as rebates cover not only the salary of the doctor but the operational costs of running a practice,” she said.

“GPs are an integral part of our health system and my priority is to ensure that all Territorians have access to sustainable and viable medical care.

“Any improvements to the Medicare system that support our GPs to provide greater access to health care in the community will be supported by the Northern Territory.”

While in Canberra Ms Fyles will also be meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the ongoing alcohol and crime crisis in Alice Springs.