The Australian Association of Consultant Physicians (AACP) welcomes today's announcement by the Prime Minister that a Labor Government will provide Medicare rebates for online consultations and videoconferencing for the specialists and consultant physicians who consult online with rurally-based GPs and their patients.

 

"This is a great initiative", said Adelaide-based Dr Bill Heddle, the AACP President, today during his regular visit to Berri in the South Australian Riverland.  "Rural and regional patients who need to see a consultant physician or paediatrician often have difficulty getting to larger centres or metropolitan areas, and this will certainly help for those patients who cannot readily travel or who may need only a follow up consultation," he said.

 

"As a cardiologist, even though I spend a day a week in country South Australia, there are always more patients here than I can see in a day.  This will help consultant physicians and paediatricians provide a wider range of services to our patients."

 

Dr Heddle also strongly supported the provision of more than $56 million in financial incentives to be paid to GPs and specialists to participate in delivering online services.  "The AACP has been pushing for consultant physicians and paediatricians to receive financial support to expand online and e-health capacity in their practices", he said, "and this initiative will be a major boost in expanding access for patients".

 

The AACP also acknowledges the valuable role of practice nurses in many consultations and also welcomes the announcement about the involvement of practice nurses under the online/videoconferencing initiative announced today.  The AACP is currently discussing how to involve practice nurses more actively in consultant physician and paediatric practices and this initiative will be a welcome boost to progressing those discussions.