Medicare rule stops Govt’s GP squad supporting struggling practices, doctors warn
The Tasmanian Government launched the GP NOW Rapid Response Team last year to support struggling practices.
A team of GPs on state salaries, meant to plug workforce gaps and help practices in crisis, is not delivering any meaningful support because of a Medicare technicality, AMA Tasmania says.
The Tasmanian Government unveiled the GP NOW Rapid Response Team during last year’s election campaign, promising 10 GPs who could be deployed “at a moment’s notice” to places where practices had closed suddenly or patients could not access GP care.
The service officially launched 10 months ago.
However, AMA Tasmania vice-president Dr Meg Creely said government officials had made a “major hiccup”.
