70% of GPs say they are limiting wound care due to cost
Patients are suffering as a result of Federal Government's failure to fund the consumables essential for providing adequate care
For many decades now, general practice has been functioning as a sort-of welfare state when it comes to the treatment of wounds.
The cost of modern dressings can be significant, but when bulk-billing patients GPs cannot charge fees to cover the cost.
Somewhat bizarrely, the government expects all the necessary consumables will be funded by the consult rebate alone.
As a result, practices frequently provide care to a small but extremely vulnerable patient group at a significant financial loss.
It's a major policy failure that rarely gets discussed.
Below are the results of our recent wound care survey, an attempt to show what it means for GPs, GP nurses and, most importantly, for patients.