Are GPs turning patients away with high consultation fees?

Posted by Beat Medical

The Sydney Morning Herald reported recently that out of patients surveyed, 9% responded that they would put off seeing their GP due to the fees.

The central question we might ask is- how responsible is the individual for their own healthcare costs?

Of course, one must also consider the commercial viability of being a GP, which can be an expensive endeavour. With business on-costs like rent, utilities, insurance, as well as paying staff and employed GPs, margins for owners of GP practices are slim. As a recruitment company, we often deal with GP practices who are very price sensitive, for whom it is less expensive to shut down for a break rather than employ a locum.

If we assume is expensive to run a GP practice, who then is responsible to making sure GPs are able to effectively service their patients, as well as making an acceptable living? Should the government increase the MBS items to close the gap between the private fee and the bulk billing fee? Or, should it simply operate as a free market economy, with the price and access being determined by market forces and the buying power of the consumer?

From a medical recruitment perspective, we find that the practices that are at least mixed billing are generally more able to meet market rates for staffing costs (with the exception of government-funded Superclinics). This means greater access to GPs for the patients of those practices. However, for those practices who believe in government funded healthcare, and offer a no-gap, bulk billing service to their patients, is it fair that their financial margins often prohibit engaging professional help with recruitment?

Read the original SMH article here.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below...

General Practitioners involved in Medicare rorts?

Posted by Beat Medical

The Sydney Morning Herald reported today that in a recent MJA article, Dr Tony Webber says that the 'dysfunctional' GP Management Plans system is open to rorting by practitioners across the board.

It is without doubt that incentive-based programs have an opportunity for fraud, overuse, or misuse. Although it is not acceptable, it is part of the price we pay for having a largely government funded health system.

One of the problems we see with this article is that there is little to describe what real checks and balances are in place to monitor the system, what training was provided to practitioners, and of course - what benefit has been provided to the healthcare consumers who have been beneficiaries of the system.

As recruiters, we work with employers and general practitioners every day to connect people with jobs across the Australasia region. The persistent issue we see is the government doing things to detract from the attractiveness of working as a doctor (particularly a GP) in high need areas.

Although it remains to be seen, the next step will undoubtedly be a government enquiry. There will be people hauled over the coals, and probably a mass requirement for GPs and other practitioners to provide reports to government bodies. Public confidence in medical practitioners may be decreased as a result of the negative media attention.

There ought to be more of a focus on developing the image of the medical profession, particularly those positions in the areas of the most need - and loosening the significant red tape and barriers to working and billing in the system.

Stretching our wings with job listings on Twitter

Posted by Beat Medical

Beat Medical Twitter page for job vacancies

The medical locum industry is fast moving, and an easy way to keep up to date with current locum job vacancies is to follow us on Twitter.

We now have a dedicated job listings channel on twitter at twitter.com/beatmedicaljobs. Here, you can receive real-time updates of current locum jobs in emergency, surgery, anaesthetics, ICU, and general practice.

You can also follow our general twitter page at twitter.com/beatmedical, for the latest news in medical recruitment.

Not sure how to use Twitter, or don't have an account yet? It couldn't be easier - simply navigate here to sign up. Mobile and iPhone users will find a host of Twitter apps online and in the Apple app store.

Living tropical - an alternative lifestyle as a GP

Posted by Beat Medical

There are so many options for where to live and work as a doctor in Australia that it can be a bit of an overwhelming choice.

As an overseas trained general practitioner, you are generally restricted to working in a regional or rural area of Australia. Although this might mean being some distance from a capital city like Sydney or Melbourne, it opens the door to a much higher quality of living.

In this article, I am going to focus on Townsville - which is in Queensland. Although there are some similar cities around Australia, Townsville has the enviable quality of having over 300 days of sunshine in the year, and is directly across from Magnetic Island, one of the most spectacular natural retreats in Australia.

Being in a regional area doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice education and lifestyle- with the best in public and private schools, a large international university (which has an excellent medical school and world-class school of tropical medicine), amazing sporting facilities, and easy childcare it is truly the best of both worlds. If you do need a fix of the 'big city', there are regular flights to Brisbane and Sydney, as well as flights north to Cairns which go onward to Bali and beyond.

In comparison to the larger cities, drive time to work is a maximum of 30 minutes (the more common average being 5-15 minutes), crime rates are relatively low, and you get a sense of being part of a community. The best part is you can enjoy your time away from work with proximity to the coastline (within sailing distance of the Great Barrier Reef), and myriad sporting and recreational facilities.

If you don't enjoy warm weather, and a relaxed lifestyle, Townsville is most likely not for you. Otherwise, consider going tropical!


At the moment, we have a number of GP positions available in a rapidly growing area of Townsville.

Specialist recognition for GPs – thanks to the AMC and RACGP

Posted by Beat Medical

From February this year, the Australian Medical Council will be accepting applications from international medical graduates to be assessed as GPs under the specialist category, possibly negating the need for complex area of need registration, and the like. This is a fantastic move which will hopefully make it a more transparent process for GPs to make the transition to working in Australia. Candidates from the UK, Ireland, Canada, United States, and South Africa will particularly benefit from the level of recognition provided for their qualifications and experience.

Well done AMC and RACGP – a positive move in what is already a complex and difficult system. Next stop…. national medical registration!

Working in Australia as a UK trained GP

Posted by Beat Medical

Working in Australia as a UK trained general practitioner is even easier now with the new RACGP specialist pathway into general practice. In short, as a MRCGP, you can apply for ad eundem fellowship of the Australian college. In most cases, after a twelve month mentoring period, you will be a full fellow of the college.

The Australian Medical Council is responsible for the initial assessment and documentation process to get started as a GP in Australia. There are a number of documents which will need to be provided, as well as a verification process for your academic qualifications. When you start, your head will most likely be swimming with forms and regulations, so it is a good idea to get in contact with a medical recruitment agency to discuss your options. A good recruitment agent can manage the entire application process on your behalf, so you can concentrate on the where and when of starting your new job.

About working conditions in Australia