Is there any disadvantage of having general practice as a gateway to other health care system?

Question

I am supposed to complete an essay on advantage and disadvantage of having GP as a gateway to the health system? Apparently in Australia, you ahveto go through GP to get to any referral. My problem is, I can;t think of any disadavantage other than limiting freedom of choice, which I think doesn't matter than much. Help!

Answer 1

The main drawback we see in the Australian Health Care System of having GP's being the gateway to the health care system is more a function of the fee-for-service nature of the GP's work.

If the GP's wish to earn more money per day, they have to see more patients per day.

The way they see more patients per day is to spend fewer minutes with them.

The bad GP's out there who are just out for a buck see 80 patients per day or so which cuts your time down to 10 patients per hour, or 6 minutes per patient.

This is barely enough time to say Hi, work out what part of the body is diseased and to scribble a note for the patient to take to the hospital and get ready for the next patient.

This is not so much a problem with having a GP->specialist arrangement as in the whole fee-for-service system.

Drawbacks:

In areas where the are few/no GP's the process of specialist referral is very slow (unable to go direct to a specialist but must see their GP who is likely to be booked out and cannot see them for some time)

Answer 2

No disadvantage except what you dais and this also if you consider as disadvantage ! GP itself is a specialty !Please do not think that it other way !In GP you deal with dental to delivery cases and get much practical experiences than any other !You are capable to treat any emergency !GP is a non dependent branch where as in other there is some dependency is always be there !Most advantage GP will enjoy is the personal family relations with the patient in turn many public communications and finally much more popularity than any one else !Go for GP and not for anything else ! Of course your choice will be the final but remember that LIFE IS A GAME OF CHANCE AND CHOICE !Always YouRsmE