GPs count cost of pandemic-driven telehealth surge

GPs have reported feeling distressed about huge sits to their income as the COVID-19 pandemic drove patients toward bulk-billed consults.

The Northern NSW Local Heath District is seeking expressions of interest from Aboriginal community members to be appointed to local community advisory groups. Photo: Kevin Farmer

GPs say they have taken a hit to earnings as the pandemic forces patients to take up bulk-billed telehealth over more expensive face-to-face consultations.

A University of Melbourne ­report revealed one-fifth of GPs and 42 per cent of other specialists surveyed had their income drop 30 per cent since the crisis.

Almost one-third of surgeons and anaesthetists said they had lost 50 per cent of their income or more in April and May.

The research, led by Melbourne Institute of Applied Economics and Social Research academic ­Anthony Scott, took in 2235 doctors; just over a third said they felt very or moderately financially stressed due to loss of income.

“COVID has been a big change for everybody but for GPs in particular because it’s involved a whole new way of working,” Professor Scott said. “The move to telehealth has resulted in a shift in the way their practices are working … that’s been a stressful change because it happened overnight.”

GPs in affluent urban areas were hardest hit because before the pandemic they were able to charge higher fees and bulk-bill fewer appointments, the research shows. Professor Scott said practices in more disadvantaged areas were less affected by the shift to telehealth.

“One of the downsides to fee-for-service is that if demand goes down so does income,” he said.

The University of Melbourne report found almost all GPs ­reported their patients used telehealth, compared with 76 per cent of specialists such as surgeons and anaesthetists.