Three quarters of GPs say the figure is an over-estimation as government under fire for misleading messaging…

In promoting the new bulk billing incentives launched two weeks ago, Health Minister Mark Butler has been on the record saying that the average GP earns $280,000 – but the RACGP, AMA, and the clear majority of around 1000 GPs who responded to a Healthed survey this week, are having none of it.

Eight out of 10 GPs said Butler’s numbers were an over-estimation, and just 12% considered them accurate.

“It is naive not to consider the part-time/full-time status, employment/contractor or particularly practice owner status of the doctor,” one GP commented. Others said that “averages” are inherently misleading.

The peak bodies have been hitting back hard at the government.

“We’ve seen unrepresentative calling out of GPs’ income and even patients encouraged to challenge their GP if they’re not part of the new program. That’s out of line,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright said in a letter to members last week.

“I’ll keep calling out misleading figures that misrepresent GP income, and any threats to our autonomy.” – Dr Michael Wright

“Exaggerated income claims are no way to sell this policy. If policymakers want to show how these reforms actually affect the average GP and patient, accurate data would help far more than spin,” Dr Wright added.

AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen also pushed back. “There were some pretty troubling comments in the media – recycled inaccuracies about GP incomes, threats from government to ‘intervene in the market’ and recommendations to patients to seek out a new GP if theirs doesn’t participate,” she said.

“This messaging undermines trust, at a time when it is needed more than ever.”

A “respectful” disagreement at the RACGP’s annual conference

On Friday, Minister Butler braved more than 1300 GPs at the College’s GP25 conference in Brisbane, for a Q and A with Dr Wright – in which the RACGP president directly called out some of the Minister’s dubious claims, expressing his dismay and anger at the recent media commentary.

When asked for his advice to those who won’t benefit from the changes, Minister Butler responded that “We’ve never tried to pretend that every practice would shift. We’ve been very frank about that.”

However, Minister Butler affirmed that he remains confident about the government’s modelling.

When Dr Wright relayed that many practices feel threatened about their business models, Minister Butler said that was not his intent.

“My focus is on ensuring two things: to ensure patients have affordable, accessible support from primary care through GP-led teams. Connected to that inextricably is support for a thriving general practice sector,” he said.

Why is the government using this type of messaging?

We asked GPs in the survey what they thought was behind the government’s messaging. Political gain was the most common theme GPs cited, with many noting that it was likely a vote-winning strategy at GPs’ expense.

To that end, many hypothesised that it was designed to further the ‘greedy doctor narrative’ and pressure GPs to bulk bill.

“So patients feel they can pressure us to bulk bill them if they think we are earning a lot of money,” is how one doctor summed it up.

“To make the public believe we are currently paid enough and don’t deserve the renumeration we ask for,” another said.

More comments from your colleagues

“The government is still running a guerrilla campaign that doctors are greedy.”

“Government is pressuring GPs into public service. It hasn’t worked in the UK so I think it is ludicrous to think it will work here.”

“Probably to force patients to chase a bulk billing practice and support a free service for everyone. I see it as bully boy tactics, using the public to force us to bulk bill. Our practice will NEVER fully bulk bill.”

“To promote their greedy doctor message in practices that do mixed billing to achieve a higher complete bulk billing percentage as promoted in their election campaign.”

“Promote their agenda and put pressure on GPs to comply with their objectives.”

“To gain votes with the public. Many people will take the misinformation at face value.”

“Political reasons to help show they are trying to do something with less cost than what should be spent for maintaining good GP and attracting graduates into GP.”

“Vote winning.”

“In order to put public in front of GPs and shift the focus away from their responsibilities and ignoring the core of the problem.”

“Scapegoating us instead of adequately funding GP.”

“They need a sacrificial lamb, and GPs are unfortunately it.”