Melbourne GP Tony Bartone was yesterday elected president of the AMA, succeeding specialist Michael Gannon, to whom he was vice-president for two years.

Dr Gannon had lamented not being able to do more for GPs, ­despite the Medicare freeze starting to thaw, and Dr Barton made it clear he would take up the fight.

“General practice has been systematically starved of funding, putting at risk its very survival,” he told delegates at the national conference in Canberra.

“The AMA, under my leadership, has the solutions.

“A GP president will send a message.

“Our Health Minister needs to understand the time for rhetoric is over. We need to see real action now.

“We will have a federal election in the next year, and I am ready for any early election call.”

Health Minister Greg Hunt will be under pressure to focus on primary care reforms, no doubt mindful Labor campaigned against Coalition plans for Medicare at the last election and will do so again.

Addressing the AMA on Friday, Mr Hunt foreshadowed a new funding approach, guided by the Medicare Benefits Schedule review and the struggling Health Care Homes trial.