Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move opposition amendment (1) circulated in my name:

(1)   Schedule 1, page 3 (lines 9 to 14), omit items 2 and 3, substitute:

        2 Subsection 16A(3)

Repeal the subsection. Substitute:

        (3)    A medicare benefit is not payable in respect of a pathology service (other than a pathologist-determinable service to which subsection (6) applies) that has been rendered by or on behalf of an approved pathology practitioner unless:

             (a)    the service was rendered pursuant to a request made by the treating practitioner and, if an approved pathology practitioner was specified on the request, the service was conducted by that practitioner; or

             (b)    the service was rendered pursuant to a request made by another approved pathology practitioner who received a request for the service made by the treating practitioner and the treating practitioner did not specify a pathology practitioner.

     (3A)    In subsection (3), a treating practitioner may only specify an approved pathology practitioner on clinical grounds.

As I stated previously, the coalition does not oppose the intent of the bill and the amendment that has been circulated is intended to support quality of care while allowing for patient choice. The amendment allows for a treating practitioner to specify a pathology practitioner when making a request if there is a clinical reason for doing so. The Minister for Health and Ageing, in her second reading speech, stated:

… there are often valid clinical reasons for recommending a particular pathology provider over another.

The evidence provided by stakeholders also agrees with this assessment. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners identified a number of clinical situations where specifying a pathology provider may be necessary for good patient care—for example, when results need to be reviewed or when other situations arise where there will definitely be a requirement for that involvement. I thank the government, through the minister, for their agreement to this amendment.

In their submissions there does appear to be general agreement among stakeholders on this issue. A similar system operates under the PBS whereby a medical practitioner can specify that a generic medicine substitution is not appropriate. The amendment would need to be consistent with changes to the regulations. The coalition is prepared to work with the government to this end. There are also a number of other implementation issues which will need to be addressed. As I mentioned in my second reading contribution on the legislation, we continue to encourage the government to work with the pathology and medical profession to address these issues. The amendment is consistent with the intent of the bill. It will allow for patient choice whilst maintaining the high quality of clinical care, and it is supported by stakeholders.

Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I indicated, the government is happy to accept these recommendations and amendments from the opposition, particularly because they focus on circumstances where there are clinical grounds that require a doctor to have a preference for directing pathology referrals to a particular pathology provider. The important point from the government’s perspective is that the general rule and the general practice change, but there is protection where clinical circumstances might require a specific request to be made. I am also very happy to provide assurance to the shadow minister that we are committed to continuing to work with the providers and health professionals on the implementation of these changes. I am sure that many issues will continue to be discussed particularly between GPs and pathology providers about the way in which we can provide even better services to the community into the future. I urge the House to now agree to this amended bill.

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.