BERT’s day-to-day activities in controlling and moulding GP behaviour via its notorious ‘nudge’ letters have been suspended while the Department of Health and GPs deal with the coronavirus.

Australian Doctor has been told all Medicare compliance letter campaigns, which were developed by the health department’s so-called Behavioural Economics and Research Team (BERT), are on hold indefinitely in recognition of the rapidly escalating COVID-19 situation.

Suggesting officials should now recognise that the specialty has more pressing priorities than reading its mail-outs, it said: “We understand that GPs and other health professionals play a critical front-line role in Australia’s response.”

The department added that Medicare compliance audits and reviews would also be reduced in the future, depending on how the outbreak played out.