Australia’s residential aged care system is failing its most vulnerable residents, with the country’s peak medical body warning that systematic underfunding, regulatory barriers, and fragmented digital infrastructure are cutting aged care residents off from regular GP care.
In a position statement released on 9 June, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) called for urgent reform and investment to fix what it describes as a deeply broken system. Federal AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said the current arrangements prevent GPs from delivering the ongoing, effective care their patients need once they move into a residential aged care facility.
“The current system is badly fragmented and, as is unfortunately often the case, it is patients who suffer as a result, with the system failing residents when they are at their most vulnerable,” Dr McMullen said. “GPs have often known their patients for many years, but we are seeing a breakdown in care once patients enter aged care homes because of lack of funding, regulatory barriers, and poor interoperability between digital systems.”
Dr McMullen said current funding arrangements and regulations make regular GP visits to aged care facilities financially unviable, pushing the system toward reactive, crisis-driven care rather than planned, preventive treatment.
“GPs want to continue caring for their patients in aged care facilities, but current funding arrangements and regulations make it extremely difficult and financially unviable to do so,” she said.
The AMA argues that aged care providers and primary healthcare professionals must be equipped to work hand-in-glove, and is calling for the Aged Care Act and quality standards to be reviewed to improve GP access as part of a GP-led collaborative care model.
Without that change, Dr McMullen warned, the consequences extend well beyond the walls of individual facilities. “The absence of preventive GP-led care results in many unnecessary hospital transfers and admissions. This places pressure on public hospitals and exacerbates problems such as ambulance ramping, pushing aged care residents into hospital when care could be provided safely where they live.”
“Ensuring residents can access regular and planned GP visits benefits patients and would move us away from the ineffectual crisis-driven care we currently see, which is detrimental for patients and has significant flow-on effects to the rest of the healthcare system,” she said.
The AMA is calling for investment across several areas to address the crisis. “If aged care residents had regular access to their usual GP and an adequate registered nurse presence in their facility, these issues could be avoided. The AMA wants to see investment in integrated care models, fair funding, modern digital infrastructure, and sustainable workforce strategies so aged care residents receive high-quality care.”
