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Diabetes sufferers, doctors and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) have all raised concerns about the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s new approach to treating diabetes, marking the start of Diabetes Awareness Week. 

The new $436m national scheme, to be rolled out in 2012, encourages GPs and medical practices to actively manage the treatment and care of patients with long-term illnesses such as diabetes, handing out set payments for participating in the scheme and per patient that they manage.  The bonuses aim to help alleviate the strain on the hospital system.  Doctors would be responsible for developing personalised care plans for patients, as well as organising physiotherapists, dieticians and other treatment necessary. 

Dr Steve Hambleton, vice-president of the AMA, is concerned that the scheme “imposes arbitrary limits on funding for patient care”, and will interfere with the relationships patients have built up with their existing doctors, specialists and treatment providers.  “From day one, we have said this scheme will not deliver better care for patients with diabetes,” stated Dr Hambleton. 

The Australian Diabetes Council (ADC) is worried that, by passing financial responsibility over to doctors, patients will lose control over the type and quality of care that they would receive, and that there would be a chance that clinical decisions made by GPs may be vetoed if they hurt the financial bottom line of the clinic itself. 

A national AMA survey appears to support these views.  Out of the 500 GPs surveyed, 88 per cent said that they would oppose patients enrolling in the scheme, with only four per cent saying that they would participate.  Two per cent of respondents said that it was an improvement over the current Medicare scheme in place.  These figures fall well short of the expected 60 per cent of GPs across over 4300 general practices announced by the Government. 

Diabetics are also concerned, with the majority of respondents in a separate survey stating that they would prefer to stick with their current arrangements and treatment plans with their own GPs, specialists and health service providers. 

However, Dr Emil Djakic, chairman of the Australian General Practice Network, said that it would “be remiss of the medical profession to reject what the government has on the table”, and that it is important for all to work with the government to create a workable system for patients and medical professionals. 

Diabetes Awareness Week runs from 11^th – 17^th July 2010.

How do you think the new funding scheme will affect the way that diabetes sufferers are treated by GPs?  Will this affect your organisation?  Join the conversation on Facebook, or tweet us up @HAAAfeed!