Mental health causing Aussie GPs most concern

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has revealed that mental health is the patient health issue causing Australian GPs the most concern for the future, followed closely by obesity. GPs would like to see the Federal Government focus on those issues, with 13 percent saying they believe mental health should be the Federal Government’s highest health priority, and 14 percent stating that the highest health priority should be obesity. Only access to Medicare rebates rated higher, with 24 percent of Australian GPs saying that ought to be the Federal Government’s number one health priority.

As well as being the patient health issue of greatest concern to Australian GPs, the report also identified that patients talk to their GPs about psychological issues more than any other matter. 62 percent of Australian GPs said such issues were among the three most common ailments that patients present with, ahead of respiratory issues at 45 percent.