August 2015

 

The gall to change
Dr Leon Adams at Charlies has found in 74 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients that venesection offered no benefits.  Fat in the liver, liver injury, insulin resistance, and quality-of-life didn’t improve with regular venesection, which is likely to be abandoned in the one third of patients with NAFLD and raised levels of iron in their blood. Venesection was thought to improve insulin resistance and the progression of liver injury in these patients.

RACGP appears cashed up
Remember the days when the RACGP was in deep water financially? Things seem to be buzzing along nicely now and the college’s visible financial reporting is beyond statutory requirements. According to the 2013-14 Annual Report, revenue that year from Membership, QI & CPD Fees increased by about $3m from the previous year to $20.5m. The college’s core business increased too, with revenue increased by about $1m to $15m for Education, Course Registration & Other Fees. Income from Research & Other Grants and Donations was down about $3.3m to $4.87m.

WA’s GP training support
Health Minister Kim Hames says government will fund the Community Residency Program, with 60 or more RMOs to undertake community placements in 2015-16 (contracts to be put to tender). State Health spent $4.2m on it last year. The aim is to improve training pathways to general practice and importantly, to rural general practice and Aboriginal health to take over from the federally funded Prevocational General Practice Placements Program (ceased end of 2014).

WA rural workforce snapshot
Rural Health West’s report Finding My Place details the rural GP workforce, both anecdotally and with facts. Things you may not know is the number of GP registrars (trainees) make 16% of the rural GP workforce; International Medical Graduates continue to make up 55%; and WA has the highest proportion of solo general practitioners nationally (28%). In 2014, 14 doctors joined the permanent workforce from their GP training program, representing 12% of all new arrivals, doctors employed for more than 5 years increased by 1%, with doctors staying longer than 5 years increased to 43%.

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