Health services access - update on progress

The meeting between the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and representatives from disability community groups at the end of June 2005 resulted in a number of recommendations for further work: see the RACGP website for details.

Recently the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and RACGP met to review developments since the meeting and I was very pleased to hear of the progress that has been made in a number of areas, and in particular to hear of the co-operative work undertaken between RACGP and representatives from the disability sector.

Below is a summary of recent discussions with RACGP.

RACGP Standards for General Practices

The RACGP has now completed its review of its Standards for General Practices.

Many of the issues raised during the consultation period by the disability sector and the HREOC have been addressed including:

The need for general practices to be aware of the National Relay Service to assist people who are deaf
The need for general practices to demonstrate that they have information about, and know how to engage with disability services to plan and facilitate patient care (where appropriate)
The need for general practices to be aware of the federal and State/Territory legislation in the field
The need for GPs and general practice staff to be able to describe how they facilitate access to their practice for people with disability.

RACGP will add additional information to the Standards as resource material when it becomes available and is considering establishing a specific area on their website where GP's can access extensive material that will assist them to provide health care services to patients with disability.

Recommendation 1 - Develop specific Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) items (such as health assessments, consultations based on appropriate time and content for people with disability).

Progress: RACGP and representatives from the National Council on Intellectual Disability have worked closely together to develop a proposal for annual health assessments for people with an intellectual disability. RACGP has also secured support from the AMA for the proposal which has been presented to the Minister for Health for consideration as an item to be addressed by next years budget.

I am particularly encouraged by the partnership that has developed on this initiative and I have expressing my support for the proposal to Government.

On the broader question of appropriate consultation times for patients with disability RACGP continues to advocate for a review of the appropriate MBS provisions.

Recommendation 2 - Develop Fact Sheets for RACGP website for use by GPs, outlining specific tips for improving access for people with particular disabilities.

Progress: The RACGP has now completed a Fact Sheet on health service access and communication issue in partnership with the Australian Association of the Deaf. This Fact Sheet will be available through the RACGP website.

It was agreed that a series of similar Fact Sheets should be developed covering issues of health access for people with other disabilities and I will be having discussions with the disability sector to identify which area to cover next. Eventually these Fact Sheets will form a resource available to all doctors, health care workers and support staff.

Recommendation 3 - Disability groups to make submissions to the RACGP review of its vocational training curriculum.

Progress: The committee responsible for curriculum review includes members with expertise in the area of health access for people with disability and an approach has been made to national peak disability groups for their input to the review.

Recommendation 4 - Training for practice staff and non-medical staff in relation to communication and care for patients with disability.

Progress: RACGP has had informal discussions with the Royal College of Nursing Australia (RCNA), the Australian Practice Nurse Association (APNA), and the Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM) to discuss training issues. The Fact Sheets being developed will be made available to these organisations.

Recommendation 5 - Assess value of publicly available Disability Awareness training packages GP's might access.

Progress: Links to publicly available Disability Awareness training packages will be included on the RACGP website and my office is having further discussions with RACGP about how best to promote training with GP practices. I will be providing RACGP with contact details for Disability Awareness training consultants who might provide such training at future appropriate forum such as the regular Practice Managers Workshops.

Recommendation 6 - Increase the presence of access-related equipment such as adjustable examination tables in general practice.

Progress: The provision of adjustable examination beds was raised in the June meeting and has been identified in the Preamble of the recently revised RACGP's Standards for General Practices as an example of the type of equipment to which GP practices could aspire. At this stage, however, the RACGP's Standards are not requiring them as part of the criteria to meet the standards, as they are not seen as feasible across the breadth of Australian general practice..

I am aware of continuing concern in the disability sector about this issue and will be writing to RACGP outlining my views on the need for this equipment and any legal questions raised by their lack of availability. I will also propose the Commission continues to work with RACGP and the disability sector, to identify strategies to achieve better access to this equipment.

Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM

Human Rights Commissioner

Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner

2 December 2005