RACP urges swift action after NSW healthcare funding report

On 16 May, the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding report was released. The Special Commission was announced by the NSW Government on 24 August 2023, to conduct a holistic review of healthcare funding in NSW and identify opportunities to deliver more accessible, more timely and higher-quality patient-centred care.

Following the report’s release, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) has called on the NSW Government to swiftly implement the report’s key recommendations — with its President, Professor Jennifer Martin, saying that the report’s findings underscore the need to address spiralling levels of physician burnout and invest more in preventive health care.

“This report confirms what frontline physicians have been saying for quite some time now and what the RACP explained to the Commission — the system is not supporting them enough to look after their patients or themselves,” Martin said. “The report rightly acknowledges that parts of our healthcare system have been underfunded for some time, by the Commonwealth as well as by NSW, particularly in workforce development and support.”

Martin went on to say that “this underfunding has led to the burnout crisis we’re currently facing across the workforce” and that “as the findings highlight, we won’t be able to tackle this issue effectively without a comprehensive workforce plan”. The report’s recommendation to expand specialist training networks and create dedicated rural and regional training pathways is something the RACP strongly supports, Martin said.

Regarding the report’s findings on preventive health care, Martin said: “By adequately funding preventive health care measures and services, and meeting the need for accommodation in purpose-built residential aged care, we can help reduce the strain on emergency departments.” She added: “Many patients who currently visit emergency departments wouldn’t need to if preventive care were made more accessible.”

Martin also said: “A shift towards collaborative, system-wide healthcare planning and greater investment in preventive services will help reduce the pressure on our healthcare system and improve outcomes for patients across the state.”

The report is available to read here, via the NSW Government website.

If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, support is available. Drs4Drs is a 24/7, free and confidential mental health support service for doctors and medical students in Australia. Please call 1300 374 377.

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