Welcome to NAMDS

Mission Statement

NAMDS is the peak body representing after-hours medical deputising services in Australia and seeks to facilitate and encourage high standards of after-hours primary medical care. NAMDS develops and negotiates definitions and standards for medical deputising in Australia with Government, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and accreditation bodies to the betterment of patients, subscribing GPs and members.

Read MDS Definition

About NAMDS

NAMDS is best-placed to advise comprehensively on the provision of Australian after hours GP care from a practical and organisational point of view.

ESSENTIAL SERVICE

NAMDS is an association of member services who provide after hours care to over 17.5 Million Australians.

VULNERABLE AUSTRALIANS

We care for some of the most vulnerable people in our community including new mothers, older Australians and people with a disability.

SAVING TAXPAYERS

These doctors provide quality care and save taxpayers by looking after patients who would otherwise end up in an emergency department.

A MODEL THAT WORKS

Medical Deputising plays a key role in offsetting the declining level of home visiting by GPs.

PATIENT REPORTS SENT TO GP

Medical Deputising also offers the highest level of continuity of care with the patient’s GP through patient reports.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

A recent poll shows just how important, with more than 79% of Australians saying they see home visits as an essential Medicare service.

History of NAMDS

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:

  • An increased rebate for Schedule A after hours MBS Items of Service in 1998
  • The introduction of the National AHPMC trials
  • The introduction of the Approved Medical Deputising Service Program
  • Development of a post-graduate training program in after-hours primary medical care and medical deputising in conjunction with the RACGP
  • The National Medical Deputising Workshop
  • Negotiation of increases in the rebate for after hours MBS Items of Service in 2000 and additional increases for non-VR doctors in 2001.
  • Recognition as the peak negotiating body for the Medical Deputising sector amongst Government at State and Federal levels and other peak medical representative organisations.

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.