Incentives on offer to encourage GPs to provide aged care services

Cash incentives are set to lure doctors to Tasmanian aged care facilities, which are struggling to find enough doctors to provide in-home treatment to vulnerable residents.

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AGED care facilities in Tasmania’s North West are struggling to find doctors to provide medical care for residents meaning ambulances are called and the elderly are placed in hospital rather than being treated at home.

Meercroft Home for the Aged CEO Wendy Shearer will meet with general practitioners in Devonport soon to try to find a solution to the problem.

Ms Shearer has also contacted Aged Care Minister Senator Colbeck to inform him of the current struggle in getting GPS to take on new residents who have moved into homes from other locations.

John Roberts, whose mother resides at Meercroft, said it was concerning that the elderly were not being seen by visiting doctors.

“Mum had to go to hospital but could have been treated in the comfort of the home. The lack of doctors and the complications associated with going to hospital is causing worry and distress for the elderly and their families,” Mr Roberts said.

Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said residents in aged care facilities had a right to quality of care, including access to GP visits and treatment.

Minister Richard Colbeck. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

Senator Colbeck said he had spoken to management at Meercroft and was hopeful conversations with local GP surgeries would result in a solution being found.

“The tight situation regarding the availability of GPs in the local area is a contributing factor with a number of surgeries working on recruitment,” Senator Colbeck said.

“The government is continuing to implement the $550 million Stronger Rural Health Strategy, which gives doctors more opportunities to train and practise in rural and remote Australia, and gives nurses and allied health professionals a greater role in delivering multidisciplinary, team-based primary care.”

The Federal Government has introduced a GP Access to Aged Care Incentive payment which encourages GPs to provide increased and continuing services in residential aged care facilities.

“The incentive payment is worth up to an additional $5000 per year to GPs who meet a threshold level of services to eligible patients,” Senator Colbeck said.

RACGP Tasmanian Chair Dr Tim Jackson said the vital role played by general practice and GPs in caring for people in residential aged care facilities wass often overlooked and it was time for change.

“A GP will typically know a patient’s full medical and clinical history as well as personal circumstances. They may even be the only non-family familiar face the resident knows,” Dr Jackson said.

“The Royal Australian College of GPs has been saying for quite some time that GPs need more support to carry out their work caring for older people in our aged care facilities, including in North West Tasmania.

“That includes adequate remuneration for conducting consultations away from a GP’s practice, having the right kind of infrastructure in place in aged care facilities to facilitate high quality care as well as proper recognition of a GP’s role as a patient’s nominated GP.

“If government and the aged care sector work to remedy some of the current limitations we can encourage more GPs to provide medical care for these residents and avoid unnecessary trips to hospitals – a win win for all concerned.”