As an individual living with lupus, I frequently require specialist and support services. Yet, the ongoing necessity for referrals from general practitioners (GPs) is creating an unnecessary financial burden. Thousands are spent annually at GPs for referral forms and updated referrals only.

The current system requires patients to see a GP for a referral even if they have previously been diagnosed or are aware of their need for specialist care. This unnecessary step only adds to the cost, time, and hardship for those in need of immediate and ongoing medical assistance.

There's no denying the importance of GPs within our healthcare framework. However, when it comes to accessing specialists and support services, I believe that once a diagnosis is in place, individuals should have the freedom to access such services directly.

According to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia, patients visiting GPs solely for referrals is one of the reasons why GPs are overworked and why patient waiting times are excessively long (source: Medical Journal of Australia). Elucidating this, allowing direct access to specialists and support services can also streamline GP offices, lessening the load on our healthcare practitioners and potentially increasing the quality of care provided.

In light of this, our call to health policy and law makers is to modify the existing referral system. It's crucial to enable patients to directly access specialist services when needed and without the unnecessary costs of obtaining and renewing referrals. This measure would also respect the reality of chronic disease sufferers who are knowledgeable about their own health needs and would ensure that Medicare support would cover these specialist visits, as it does now.

Sign this petition if you, like me, believe in the need for change, and let's advocate for more direct, affordable, and patient-centered healthcare.