ACRRM welcomes today’s Labor Party announcement to commit $970 million towards general practice reform if it secures government. 

ACRRM President Dr Sarah Chalmers says the establishment of a $750 million three-year Strengthening Medicare Fund, overseen by a taskforce of leading health organisations, including ACRRM, demonstrates a commitment to prioritise actions in the 10-year Primary Health Care Plan. 

“The funding is designed to provide better care through improved admission and access to general practice, greater patient affordability, decreased pressure on hospitals and better management of complex and chronic conditions," Dr Chalmers says.

The additional announcement of the Strengthening Medicare Grants program, valued at $220 million, will support practices, big and small, to upgrade their systems and processes to improve patient access. 

“These announcements are positive for the general practice profession, however with more than one-third of Australians living in regional, rural and remote Australia, we are hopeful that the Labor Party, and all parties, will offer specific solutions to address their healthcare needs,” Dr Chalmers says. 

“They need access to Rural Generalists and rural GPs who are not only specifically skilled but are fully supported through appropriate infrastructure, adequate funding, and opportunities for training and skills development.

“We know that rural and remote communities can thrive when they have access to the right doctors in the right places with the right skills. 

“We support this commitment from the Australian Labor Party and call on all parties and candidates to put forward clear, funded programs that will support primary healthcare, particularly outside the urban footprint. 

“As a College, we are leading the way in working with key government, community, and industry stakeholders to secure strong and sustainable rural and remote healthcare services,” Dr Chalmers says. 

“We continue to advocate for our members and for the rural and remote, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples they serve.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact marketing and communications manager Petrina Smith at p.smith@acrrm.org.au, 0414 820 847 or 1800 223 226.

ABOUT ACRRM

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine is the only College in Australia entirely dedicated to training and supporting rural General Practitioners to serve rural and remote communities.

Our vision is to have the right doctors, in the right places, with the right skills, providing rural and remote people with excellent health care.

For more information, visit acrrm.org.au.