Australia's primary health care workforce--research informing policy

In 2008, the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI) held a Primary Health Care Workforce Roundtable with practising clinicians, policymakers and researchers, which drew on Australian evidence in health care policy, systematic reviews, and expertise and experience of participants. Key recommendations for an adequate, sustainable and effective primary health care workforce that arose from the meeting included: simplifying the Medicare Benefits Schedule, which is unnecessarily complex and inflexible; effectively funding undergraduate and prevocational medical and nursing education and training in primary health care; developing career structure and training pathways for general practitioners and primary health care nurses; developing of functional primary health care teams; and using a blended funding model, comprising fee-for-service as well as capitation for patients with chronic or complex needs. A report from the meeting, detailing these policy options, was submitted to the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission for inclusion in their deliberations.