FPM Dean writes to the Grattan Institute advocating for pain medicine specialists

The letter to Grattan Institute Health Program Director, Peter Breadon addresses the report’s omission and misrepresentation of critical challenges facing pain medicine specialists.

While acknowledging shared concerns about access, affordability, and the maldistribution of specialists, the letter addresses three key areas of misrepresentation or omission in the report:

• Workforce growth: Reported growth figures are misleading, as they mask the specialty’s small base and significant undersupply.
• Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS): Current funding arrangements unfairly disadvantage pain specialists compared with consultant physicians.
• Training and workforce barriers: Constraints stem from systemic funding and distribution issues, not restrictions imposed by the college.

The letter also highlights FPM’s advocacy to improve rural and remote access and notes areas of alignment with the report, including equity of access, training reform, MBS reform, and the importance of team-based care.