- “Non-VR” Australian born, Australian trained GPs represent a cohort of GPs who graduated between about 1989
and 1996, plus a smaller group of doctors who graduated before that date. (Some of these latter GPs nobly refused “VR” status in protest against the blatant discrimination against
“Non-VR” GPs. Given it's been about 20 years, they've thus lost well over a million dollars for their noble stance...)
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Many “Non-VR” GPs are female, having taken time out of the paid workforce to have children and thus missed out by a few short
years on automatically being offered “grandfathering” into the government’s “VR“ register.
- Other “Non-VR” GPs had to take time out of medical practice - even for a relatively short period of time -
to care for sick relatives, which put them in this “Non-VR” category, and thus subject to pay discrimination.
- Some “Non-VR” GPs have over 30 years of practical GP experience. Others were kept out of the “VR” system precisely because they were upgrading their skills during
the government’s cut-off date. (e.g.: working in public hospital emergency departments for a number of years).
- Australian born and trained “Non-VR” GPs have the same patient responsibilities, and University medical qualifications, as the Australian GPs who were all
“grandfathered” into the “VR” system. Yet they receive FAR LESS Medicare rebates, despite providing the exact same level of care.
Highly qualified “Non-VR” GPs:
1) Give exactly the same level of care,
2) Have exactly the same responsibility for patient welfare
3) Pay exactly the same associated indemnity fees,
as their “VR” colleagues
yet receive HALF their remuneration.
This is AGAINST THE LAW.