As Australian Pathology's Campaign ramps up with a deliberate fear that there may be GAP FEES for Pathology Services if they don't support their Campaign.
The only Gap Fees will come straight from the greedy private healthcare companies who want the same profits they saw during the Covid Pandemic. We pray that we will never see that again in our careers, it was a horrible time for People in Pathology on the frontline.
We have invited Pathology Australia to engage with The PCA so we can help them get back on track to run a Pathology Service that meets the needs of the Australian People. We don't hold high hopes that they will engage, but we have tried to meet in the middle. Please find the letter below.
Our very important message that we need everyone to share is that the People in Pathology are being advised of large cuts to the workforce that is already seeing a staffing and skills shortage. Cutting back on "Workforce Costs" as Healius's new CEO, Paul Anderson advised in his first address to the company is only going to make it harder for Australians to find a Collection Centre that does not have ridiculous wait times and staff that are overloaded with an unreasonable task load and then also have to deal with the frustrated patients with no support from the management who put them in these situations. Please share our petition in every way you can and let's support the forgotten Healthcare Heros.
Dear Australian Pathology,
The Phlebotomists Council of Australia (PCA) is the professional body dedicated to advocating for the People in Pathology. It is with significant concern that we address you today regarding the manner in which your campaign for the reintroduction of reindexation of Medicare for Pathology Services is being conducted.
We have observed a deliberate attempt to create confusion within the general public, instilling fear that Pathology Services will no longer be Bulk Billed, or worse, that there will be a gap fee for these services, should patients not participate in your campaign. It is our understanding that your campaign, directed at the federal government, seeks the reindexation of Medicare for Pathology Services to ensure Private Pathology receives increased Commonwealth Funds for the same tests. Reports of refusal of blood tests unless patients participate in your campaign are deeply troubling. We have raised these concerns with Federal MPs and the Honorable Mark Butler.
In the spirit of transparency, our upcoming campaign action will involve contacting General Practice and Specialist Doctors to address the misrepresentation in your marketing materials. We will seek their support in advocating for their valued colleagues in Pathology by distributing our brochures with every blood test referral. Before commencing this phase of the campaign, we wanted to extend an invitation to Australian Pathology to discuss our support for the reintroduction of indexation of Medicare Pathology Fees. We propose this in conjunction with an agreement to award a 9% wage increase to all Pathology Workers in Private Pathology. Following the significant wage increase granted to Aged Care workers through the work value case, we believe it is imperative to work with other Pathology Stakeholders to ensure equitable increases for the undervalued Pathology Workers. The PCA is committed to proactive positive action and formally encourages your engagement with us to address the staff and skills shortages currently plaguing our sector.
Furthermore, the PCA is actively involved in The Commission for Health and Safety in Healthcare’s review of the NPAAC accreditation. We have tirelessly petitioned for this review for two years. Additionally, we are engaged with the Job and Skills Council to include our qualifications in the Federal Government’s Critical Skills traineeship list. This initiative aims to assist workplaces in upskilling the large cohort of under qualified staff, ultimately raising the standards of the Pathology Sector to align with other Allied Health Services in Australia.
We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you to tackle the current challenges facing the Pathology Sector in Australia. We kindly request your response by Close of Business this Friday, March 29th. Failure to respond will prompt the PCA to proceed to the next stage of our “9% TO PAY THE RENT” Campaign.
Kind Regards,
Bec Luxton
Founding CEO of The Phlebotomists Council of Australia