RACGP calls for GPs to be central to NSW Health@Home rollout

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has welcomed the NSW Government's planned Health@Home service, while urging policymakers to ensure general practice is fully integrated and appropriately resourced as the program is rolled out.

The NSW Government has committed $259 million to deliver hospital-level care at home across the state. Once fully operational, the service is expected to support around 76,000 patients annually and create capacity equivalent to 700 hospital beds.

RACGP NSW & ACT Chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman said care at home could offer significant benefits for patients, provided it remains safe, voluntary and closely connected to a patient's usual GP.

“Hospital-level care at home can give suitable patients more choice and reduce the disruption associated with an inpatient hospital stay,” she said.

“Patients recovering from surgery, managing chronic and complex conditions, or requiring short-term acute care may benefit from receiving treatment in familiar surroundings.

“However, for this model to succeed, general practice must be at its centre. GPs know their patients' medical histories, medications, personal circumstances and ongoing healthcare needs. They must be recognised as essential clinical partners, not simply a referral point."

Dr Hoffman said strong clinical governance and seamless communication between hospital-at-home services and patients' usual GPs would be critical.

“Patients should experience smooth, coordinated care throughout their treatment. That means timely, two-way communication with their GP and clear responsibility for prescribing, test results, escalation of care, follow-up treatment and ongoing management,” she said.

“General practices must also be properly funded for the additional work involved, including assessments, information sharing and supporting patients after they leave the program.

“Health@Home will work best when it is integrated with local general practice. GPs are well placed to provide face-to-face care in the community for services such as iron infusions, wound care and early pregnancy treatment, including managing hyperemesis, while specialist teams provide virtual support where needed. This approach would improve access to care, reduce unnecessary travel for patients and help keep people out of hospital and emergency departments.”

Dr Hoffman also called for the model to be designed with equitable access in mind.

“Patients in rural, regional and disadvantaged communities must not be left behind,” she said.

“Access to workforce, diagnostics, medicines, digital connectivity and face-to-face clinical support will be essential if this program is to deliver equitable care for all patients.

“Hospital-at-home services can help ease pressure on our hospitals, but only if they are delivered in partnership with general practice. Strengthening general practice is one of the most effective ways to ensure patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”

The RACGP NSW&ACT has outlined a number of initiatives ahead of the NSW election. The platform calls for the next NSW Government to make better use of GPs’ skills through a number of initiatives, including:

• funding GPs in Schools so children can access earlier care for ADHD, developmental and behavioural concerns, and other physical and mental health needs
• establishing pathways for patients to access care earlier using GPs with Special Interests (GPwSI) in priority fields like dermatology, paediatrics, women’s health, obesity management, geriatrics, and ENT
• placing General Practice Liaison Officers in each of the state’s Local Health Districts to reduce unnecessary referrals to hospital specialist care, get patients out of hospital sooner, and patient readmissions to hospital after discharge
• expanding community-based treatment, multidisciplinary care, vaccination and after-hours general practice to reduce avoidable pressure on NSW hospitals.

“Our election platform applies that lesson across the health system,” Dr Hoffman said.

“It’s a practical package of proposals that work together to reduce unnecessary waits, strengthen early intervention, free up hospital capacity, and make NSW healthcare easier to navigate.

“A GP in Schools program would mean a school can refer a child who needs support to their usual GP to coordinate assessment, or link them with a GP to coordinate their care if they don’t yet have one.

“Where a patient needs specialist care, often a GP with a Special Interests could provide it sooner and at a lower cost – as we’ve shown with ADHD.

“GP Liaison Officers would help ensure those who need hospital care get in, and that GPs have clear pathways where care in the community is a better option.

“Patients shouldn’t bounce between disconnected services or wait months for care a GP with the right training and skills could safely provide in the community.

“At the 2027 state election, every party has an opportunity to take that success further and build a health system that is easier for patients to access, more efficient for clinicians and more sustainable for NSW.”

~ENDS

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