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.
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NAMDS is best-placed to advise comprehensively on the provision of after hours GP care from a practical and organisational point of view. NAMDS is an association of member services, of which there are currently 11 such services across Australia.
NAMDS services provide medical deputising to an estimated 9000 FTE urban GPs or around the same number as GP members of the AMA in Australia. It is evident that the provision, integration and quality of after hours GP care is of increasing significance to Government, the profession and the community.

History

NAMDS finalised a set of standards and introduced accreditation of member services according to these standards in 1993 (i.e. before General Practice). 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 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 and the subsequent conduct of a trial by one member service
  • 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.

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