GPs welcome new health strategy
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed the passing of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency Bill 2010 through Parliament.
The Bill will see the establishment of a National Preventive Health Agency to coordinate a national strategic approach in relation to preventive health. This will include promoting healthy lifestyles and coordinating national programs aimed at reducing alcohol abuse, obesity, and tobacco use in Australia.
RACGP president professor Claire Jackson said she was pleased that the Government is implementing a national, coordinated approach to preventive health.
“Often, underlying areas of health and well‐being are overlooked in favour of immediate health problems that can’t be avoided. The adverse effects of being overweight, smoking and excessive alcohol intake are regularly ignored until the health problems stemming from these areas become a problem.
“GPs provide ongoing care to people over time and play an essential role in health promotion and providing preventive counseling and advice. We are pleased that the Government is also focusing on the important area of prevention within our healthcare system,” she said.
Professor Jackson said that the College was looking forward to working with the National Preventive Health Agency to improve the health of all Australians now and in the future.
“GPs are at the forefront of primary healthcare in Australia and there is no group better equipped to provide solutions in regards to preventive health. We hope that the National Preventive Health Agency engages with GPs at a grassroots level,” she said.
The RACGP Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice (the Red Book), the RACGP Putting prevention into practice: guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting (the Green Book) and the RACGP SNAP: a population health guide to behavioural risk factors in general practice are key resources for Australian GPs in regards to preventative health.
“These RACGP guides are international repositories of evidence‐based preventive care guidelines in primary care. They allow Australian GPs to play a key role in spear‐heading improved preventive care for Australians nationally,” professor Jackson concluded.
