Allowing chiropractors to directly refer to orthopaedic surgeons under Medicare and mandatory accreditation for all GP practices are two of the radical suggestions in the Federal Government’s Scope of Practice Review report.

Published on Tuesday, its 216-page final report also suggests harmonising state and territory regulations on who can and cannot prescribe S4 drugs to patients.

As flagged in April, the review, led by Professor Mark Cormack, wants to allow more non-GPs to refer to specialists under Medicare despite opposition from GP groups over the risks of care fragmentation.

“Feedback from consumer groups about this potential reform indicated a strong view that fulfilling these administrative requirements is typically experienced as arbitrary, frustrating and a significant barrier to care,” the final report states.