Funding to Better Equip GPs to Respond to Family Violence

 

The Federal Government has announced $300,000 in funding to update clinical guidelines to help general practitioners (GPs) better respond to family violence.

Abuse and violence: Working with our patients in general practice (the Whitebook) is a manual resource designed to guide doctors and medical experts to identify family violence and support patients experiencing abuse.

Last reviewed in 2014, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) will use the funding to update the Whitebook and ensure medical practitioners across the country have current, tailored and evidence-informed advice at their disposal.

The initiative is part of the a broader $9.6 million government commitment, announced in the Federal Government’s 2019–20 Budget, to build the capability of more healthcare professionals to better recognise and respond to patients experiencing abuse.

Closer to home: Royal Commission Implementation 

After family and friends, it is GPs and other primary healthcare providers who people experiencing family violence most often turn to for help and support.

Research has found that approximately one quarter of women seeking help in relation to their abuse confide initially in a healthcare professional. It’s been estimated that every week a GP sees up to five women who have been abused by their partners, though the GP may not be aware of this abuse.

The powerful role GPs have to play in responding to family violence was captured by several recommendations that came out of Victoria’s Royal Commission into Family Violence.

These included creating a database of health professionals with family violence expertise, making family violence training a mandatory requirement for all GPs, and developing a family violence learning agenda for current and future medical practitioners.

All of these recommendations have either been implemented or are currently in progress.

GP responses even more crucial during COVID-19

According to RACGP Chair, Dr Charlotte Hespe, the Federal Government’s funding announcement could not have come at a more pressing time given the detrimental impacts of COVID-19 on the prevalence and severity of family violence in our communities.