Doctors in Australia reject governments plan for diabetes care

Mon, 12 Jul 2010
A survey of GPs by the Australian Medical Association has found that the majority of doctors do not support the government’s proposed plan for care of patients with diabetes . The survey, which was undertaken throughout the country last month, showed that only four per cent of the GPs that responded said they would definitely participate in the new scheme.

Other findings of the survey revealed that only two per cent of respondents thought that the scheme would result in GPs spending more time with their diabetic patients, that 88 per cent of respondents were against patient enrolment in the scheme, and only 2.3 per cent of respondents believed the new plan would improve upon on existing Medicare arrangements for patients with diabetes .

Steve Hambleton, Vice President of the AMA, said "From day one, we have said this scheme will not deliver better care for patients with diabetes. It is a scheme that robs patients of their Medicare rebate entitlements. It is a scheme that interferes with the doctor-patient relationship and limits patient choice. It is a scheme that imposes arbitrary limits on funding for patient care. It is a scheme that must be scrapped before it begins."

The AMA has proposed an alternative, patient-centred plan for those who have complex and chronic diseases, which focuses on the importance of enhancing care for all people with chronic conditions, including diabetes. Dr Hambleton pointed out that "The AMA plan builds on what works and has the overwhelming support of GPs."

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