010415- AMA(SA) - delivers win for Rural GPs and Registrars

AMA(SA) delivers win for Rural GPs and Registrars
Following prolonged negotiations, The AMA(SA) has today secured some major
wins for rural GPs wishing to contract their services to rural public hospitals.
Whilst there are some areas of the Agreement we have not been able to change,
we believe the total outcome is a win for our members and for rural medicine.
Worthy highlights of the negotiations include securing new funding for up to 8
additional rural GP training positions in major regional centres. These positions
(total of 5 FTE) provide vital training opportunities for our rural trainees in
obstetrics, emergency and anaesthesia procedural training. Building the future
rural medical workforce is crucial and the AMA(SA) has been advocating for rural
training positions for many years. GP Rural Trainee, Dr Emma Rischbieth, says
“This is a great win and means I will no longer have to leave SA to complete my
rural GP training”.
Dr Peter Tait, GP Loxton, states “These training positions create some certainty for
training up our replacements”
The AMA(SA) has also negotiated 3% indexation to the most common after-hours
and all life threatening consultation billing items. This will provide a welcome
‘cushion’ for our members whilst the Federal AMA continues to fight against the
Medicare rebate freeze. Importantly, this increase will remain even when the
federal frozen rebate issue is resolved.
The problem of non-payment for road trauma patients seen in country hospitals by
GPs has often left rural GPs totally out of pocket. The AMA(SA) has stated this is
unacceptable and has negotiated that a GP can either send his or her own bill or
now have the option of billing Country Health to ensure a minimum payment of
80% of the total fee. Rural GP, Dr John Williams, states “This improvement is
greatly appreciated as lifesaving stressful resuscitation of road trauma crashes
consumes significant periods of time and emotional energy and I believe the public
do not expect doctors to provide their services for free ”.
The complex issue of hospital callouts that disadvantage GPs working in their
clinics has been streamlined as a result of AMA(SA) advocacy and any future
rollout of EPAS now requires discussion with the AMA(SA) in advance.
The AMA(SA) has been assured that those GPs who have already signed
contracts will not miss out and CHSA will honor this new agreement for all rural
GPs. The AMA(SA) therefore supports this new offer which we believe brings new
benefits for our members and for the first time provides acknowledgement of the
need for rural training opportunities for our junior doctors.
On behalf of all rural communities, AMA(SA) applauds our rural GPs and GP
trainees for the essential service they provide.
1 April 2015
MEDIA RELEASE
First Floor, 80 Brougham Place, North Adelaide SA 5006
PO Box 134, North Adelaide SA 5006
www.amasa.org.au Phone: (08) 8361 0100
MEDIA RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE
A USTRALIAN M EDICAL A SSOCIATION (SA) I NC
For further comment please contact
Dr Patricia Montanaro President on (08) 8361 0109 or 0418 840 899
Dr Emma Rischbieth Rural GP Trainee on 0414 299 421
Dr Peter Tait, Rural GP Loxton on 0418 496 489
Dr Thomas Crowhurst, Chair, AMA(SA) Doctors in Training on 0439 810 678
1 April 2015
MEDIA RELEASE
First Floor, 80 Brougham Place, North Adelaide SA 5006
PO Box 134, North Adelaide SA 5006
www.amasa.org.au Phone: (08) 8361 0100
MEDIA RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE
A USTRALIAN M EDICAL A SSOCIATION (SA) I NC