The Federal Government’s general practice policies are “smoke and mirrors” while the Opposition’s are non-existent, RACGP president Dr Harry Nespolon says.

With the federal election less than two weeks away, Dr Nespolon has offered a bleak assessment of both major parties’ visions for primary care, declaring each seems stuck in the 1960s.

The college, along with the AMA, has been trying to turn general practice into an election issue, encouraging members to campaign directly to patients and funding TV ads warning of rising out-of-pocket costs for GP care.

There have been some announcements, notably the $450 million patient enrolment scheme revealed in the federal budget.