Medicare changes 'unlikely to help after-hours service'
Federal government changes to the "bulk-billing incentive" and plans for a "southern" Central Coast Medicare Urgent Care Clinic are unlikely to help the Woy Woy After Hours Medical Service, according to director Dr Paul Duff.
These possibilities were mentioned by Federal Member for Robertson Dr Gordon Reid in a statement to Peninsula News supporting the continuation of the Woy Woy after-hours medical service.
Dr Reid said he would continue to advocate on behalf of his community for greater healthcare services for the Central Coast.
"The Federal Albanese Labor Government is investing a record $3.4 billion into Medicare to triple the bulk billing incentive.
"This will enable more people to see a bulk billed doctor.
"Additionally, the Central Coast will be receiving two Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, one in the north and one in the south.
"These clinics will be bulk billed, open seven days a week, and with extended operating hours."
Dr Duff said the increase in the bulk-billing incentive would not help the Woy Woy after-hours service.
"At this time, the only Medicare item for which the bulk bill incentive increase will apply universally is an item 23.
"This does not apply to after hours care.
"The government is attaching big strings to this incentive, making it apply, in many circumstances, to patients registered to a practice under My Medicare.
"After hours services, by their nature, can't have registered patients and so will be excluded from much of the bulk bill incentive increase."
Dr Duff said the service had looked at the opportunity to become an urgent care centre.
"The service did not express interest in running an urgent care centre, in part because of the experience we have had with the funding of our service over the last 20 years," he said.
"We could not see how we could make such a centre viable, in large part because we couldn't see where the GPs to man the service would come from."
Dr Duff said the Woy Woy After Hours Medical Service was established in 1972 when Woy Woy Hospital first opened.
"It's a cooperative of local GPs who take turns to staff evening and weekend clinics and be on call overnight.
"In a General Practice landscape where bulk billing is becoming less common, the service almost universally continues to bulk bill.
"We don't pretend to provide the continuity of care you would get from your usual GP," Dr Duff said.
"As a cooperative, we don't want to compete with GPs in the area and don't try to offer many of the services that they do, like specialist referrals, pathology or xray requests or long-term prescriptions.
"The vital service that we do offer is to ensure that the people of the Peninsula can be looked after when they can't see their usual GP or would otherwise have to resort to the long drive and extended wait times of Gosford Hospital Accident and Emergency."
SOURCE:
Media statement, 31 Jul 2023
Paul Duff, Woy Woy After Hours Medical Service
Media statement, 31 Jul 2023
Gordon Reid, Member for Robertson