With the notable exception of those who suffer seasonal allergies, there is something about spring that makes people feel good. After the cold and wet of winter, rays of sunshine signal we can come out of hibernation. In nature, spring is time of renewal, birth and growth.
For many it feels like we have been hibernating for over two years. This column is written in New Zealand as we visit relatives not seen in three years. It was sad to see the state of the international terminal with shuttered retail outlets and, while small numbers enable faster processing, it is not good for those whose livelihoods rely on numbers.
At time of writing, New Zealand is still where WA was at in April and the rest of Australia in February. You walk into a restaurant with mask on but take it off when you sit down. Case numbers in NZ are following the same trajectory as Australia as we followed the international pattern – just a bit later.
In 1970 Joni Mitchell sang “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone”. In 2022 this could apply to the state of general practice. The new federal minister has noticed that there is a crisis and direct billing is under threat. Absolute numbers can’t be obtained but the workforce is thought to have shrunk by 3-5% through COVID.
We are not alone. In the UK the number of full-time GPs is the lowest in five years; in NZ it is estimated that half the GPs (average age 53, up from 49 in 2005) are set to retire in the next decade; and 39% of GPs and 46% in rural NZ are foreign-trained. Sound familiar?
In the UK the number of full-time GPs is the lowest in five years; in NZ it is estimated that half the GPs (average age 53, up from 49 in 2005) are set to retire in the next decade; and 39% of GPs and 46% in rural NZ are foreign-trained.
Other specialties are not immune. It can take up to six months to see a private rheumatologist in Perth. Ophthalmology, psychiatry, paediatrics and dermatology have long wait times too. Many have closed their books.
In typical style, the new government has appointed a committee to examine Medicare and funding. It will no doubt produce a tome with numerous recommendations in a year. It won’t address the fundamental problem – no government (especially with post-COVID debt) can provide every service everyone wants when they want it with no cost to the user. Remember, Medicare was originally designed to provide basic cover to all – not cover all costs for all services for all.
Reality can hit with a massive thud. Reality is hitting the health system.