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NAMDS is best-placed to advise comprehensively on the provision of Australian after hours GP care from a practical and organisational point of view.
NAMDS is an association of member services who provide after hours care to over 17.5 Million Australians.
We care for some of the most vulnerable people in our community including new mothers, older Australians and people with a disability.
These doctors provide quality care and save taxpayers by looking after patients who would otherwise end up in an emergency department.
Medical Deputising plays a key role in offsetting the declining level of home visiting by GPs.
Medical Deputising also offers the highest level of continuity of care with the patient’s GP through patient reports.
A recent poll shows just how important, with more than 79% of Australians saying they see home visits as an essential Medicare service.
NAMDS finalised a set of standards and introduced accreditation of member services according to these standards in 1993.
NAMDS subsequently instigated and succeeded in having these standards incorporated into the RACGP’s ‘Entry Standards for General Practice’. The premise for this initiative was, and remains, that accreditation of General Practice is deficient without co-accreditation of those after-hours arrangements delivering a clinical continuum to patients for up to 118 hours, or 70%, of the week.
In addition to its proactive and forthright role in determining appropriate standards for MDS accreditation, NAMDS has been integral in achieving many other important developments in Australian after hours GP service delivery. These include:
Achievements in raising standards of after hours services provided by General Practice and recognition of the importance of a quality-based continuum in clinical care has resulted principally from NAMDS’ efforts.