STREAMLINED home visit doctor services will help reduce non-urgent
emergency room presentations at the Northern and Austin hospitals,
according to the newly appointed regional service provider.
Medicare Local took over the distribution and co-ordination of
federal funding for home visiting doctor services on July 1. Before that
, the federal government granted funding directly to after-hours care
providers such as the Melbourne Medical Deputising Service.
Northern Medicare Local spokesman John Walker said the body would
further promote after-hours doctor services across the catchment to ease
the burden on hospital emergency rooms.
Home visit doctor services are bulk-billed, and home-visit GPs can access private health records.
Mr Walker said patients had responded positively to the service, but distribution had been uneven in the first 18 days.
To contact an after-hours GP in the Northern Medicare Local catchment, visit the Resources Directory page at nmml.org.au.
