BATHURST woman Nelma Brooks has welcomed the federal government’s trial of a tailored health service for people with chronic illnesses.
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The primary care package will be trialled through the creation of ‘Health Care Homes’ and will be responsible for the ongoing co-ordination, management and support of a patient’s care.
Mrs Brooks has arthritis, as do two of her three children. She, and other patients with chronic illnesses, will be asked to nominate one GP’s practice as their “home base”.
The nominated practice will then co-ordinate a healthcare package tailored to each patient’s individual needs. Medicare payments to doctors for co-ordinating the care packages will be paid in a quarterly lump sum, rather than after each separate patient visit to the GP.
Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley said the aim of the package was to keep people out of hospital and living happier and healthier lives at home.
As many as one-in-five Australians (around 4.8 million people) now live with two or more chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, cancer or respiratory conditions.
Mrs Brooks and her children said they already see the benefits to their health that staying with the same GP practice brings them.
“We’ve been in Bathurst 29 years and go to the same doctor and the same pharmacy,” she said.
“They know what you’ve got, your history, and I really do find things should be more centralised.
“For people with chronic illnesses, it’s very important to be with a doctor that knows you.”
Bathurst GP Dr Debbie McClure said while the program would bring huge healthcare benefits to patients, GPs have been “kept in the dark” about the financial implications on their practices.
“[The Royal Australian] College of General Practitioners was involved in the program, but on the ground us GPs don’t know a thing about it, we’ve been kept in the dark,” she said.
Dr McClure said making government payments quarterly, rather than after every treatment, could have huge impacts on solo or very small GP practices but GPs would be able to more accurately and safely treat patients when their entire health history was in one practice and it would ensure tests were not duplicated.
