Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report

close up mid shot of people in blue scrubs holding pieces of paper and a pen

Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report

close up mid shot of people in blue scrubs holding pieces of paper and a pen

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) endorses the vision for improving primary care as outlined in the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report and now eagerly expects the Government to deliver on this reform.

The Strengthening Medicare Taskforce has delivered a vision for improving primary care, and there is now an expectation the Albanese Government will deliver on this.

The APA supports and welcomes any policy and regulatory reforms that harness the full strengths and skills of the health workforce, and allows physiotherapists to work to their full scope of practice.

The APA is particularly pleased with recommendations aimed at strengthening collaboration across the health and other care systems. However, we expect these reforms to address issues such as referral pathways and to support models such as Funded First Contact Physiotherapy.

The solution to our overburdened GPs and emergency departments lies not just in more money for general practice, but in utilising physiotherapy, psychology and other allied health services to work in multi-disciplinary teams - alongside GPs - to provide a sustainable model for primary care that is also simple and easy to navigate for patients.

There is now an expectation that the Government will deliver comprehensive reform in primary care and the APA looks forward to working with the minister and government to deliver this change.

 
 

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