Billions lost in aged-care transfers

Australia could save billions of dollars spent on aged-care if GPs could treat patients in residential facilities, a report has found.

Australia could save billions of dollars spent on aged-care if GPs could treat patients in residential facilities, a report has find. Picture: istock

Australia could save more than $21 billion in aged care costs over the next four years by avoiding unnecessary public and private hospital admissions from nursing homes and older people in the community, according to a report by the Australian Medical Association.

In the year to 30 June 2021, there will have been 27,569 transfers of residents from nursing homes to hospitals that were potentially avoidable, the AMA says, costing $312 million and accounting for 159,693 hospital patient days.

The cost of transferring patients to emergency departments but who are not admitted sits at $497 million, a figure that could easily be avoided with immediate reform, said AMA president Omar Khorshid.

“Not enough nurses and limited access to GPs are behind the frequent transfer of older people in nursing homes to hospitals, often resulting in unnecessary prolonged stays,” he said.

“That’s why we are calling for the GP to be placed at the heart of aged care, backed by adequate numbers of nursing staff so health care is put back into aged care.”

“Spending our money on aged care will deliver a return on hospitals.”

The report is part of AMA’s new Care Can’t Wait campaign which includes 11 recommendations to Government given during the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

The recommendations, Dr Khorshid warns, are “conservative figures”.

The report found that doctor-patient relationships often broke down when patients went into aged care homes and this was due to poor incentives for doctors.

“Most of the GPs who follow patients into nursing homes are of older age. As soon as that group retires, we don’t really have anyone to replace them,” he said. “Our new report clearly states the action required to future-proof aged care so we have a system we, ourselves, would be happy to live in and send our parents and other loved ones to.”

“It means the hospitals are there for the people that we really need that care and the people at the end of life can receive the care they need and want in the setting they want.”