AMA opposed to new health body

The South West will become one of the first areas in Australia to roll out Medicare Locals as part of the Federal Government’s health reform, but the State’s peak medical body revealed it would oppose the program.

South West Medicare Locals will be run by the South West Health Alliance which is made up of Greater Bunbury Division of General Practice, GP down south and the Great Southern GP Network, according to alliance deputy chairwoman Elizabeth Barnes.

‘‘Medicare Locals, evolving from Australia’s general practice networks, have been designed to better integrate general practice and other primary health care services such as Aboriginal health, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and mental health services, around the needs of patients and communities,’’ Ms Barnes said.

Medicare Locals, which can be compared with development commissions in its function, will provide a simpler system for patients to navigate, according to Ms Barnes.

However, the Australian Medical Association of WA disagreed with Ms Barnes and the association’s president, Associate Professor David Mountain, said Medicare Locals would create more red tape for practitioners.

He said nearly 90 per cent of WA doctors surveyed by the AMA WA said the program would create another level of bureaucracy.

The Medicare Locals program is planned to come into effect from July 1 and from the middle of next year, divisions of general practice will cease to be Federally funded.

A spokesman for the AMA WA said divisions of general practice were supporting Medicare Locals because the divisions would soon not exist and they would have to support the program to ensure workers still had jobs.

‘‘The Government has announced that divisions are being closed down and they need a new reason for existing,’’ he said.

‘‘They believe Medicare Locals will provide that reason.’’