Healthcare

How is this affecting our Region?

• Our region has 32% fewer GPs per capita compared to metropolitan areas

• Local residents wait an average of 21 days for a standard GP appointment

• Out-of-pocket costs have increased by 35% for local patients in the past three years

• Mental health services in our region meet only 35% of current demand

What can be done?

• Reduce demand for healthcare in Australia by investing in health prevention programs

• Support a substantial increase in bulk billing incentives to make GP visits more affordable nationwide ($15 billion+)

• Increase funding to train, attract, and retain more healthcare professionals, especially in regional areas

• Support including dental and mental health in Medicare

• Expand subsidies through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to make more prescription medicines cheaper

What would it look like for us?

Our healthcare system would be transformed with the establishment of three Medicare-funded urgent care clinics in our region, reducing emergency department pressure by 35%.

The recruitment of 45 additional GPs through targeted incentives would address our critical shortage, while specialist waiting times would be reduced by 40% through local specialist hubs.

A dedicated mental health facility would serve 2,000 residents annually, supported by school-based mental health programs reaching 15,000 local students.

Preventable hospitalisations would decrease by 25% through targeted prevention programs. These improvements would create 350 new healthcare jobs across various disciplines in our region.

Five community health hubs providing integrated preventative care would be established, ensuring all residents have access to comprehensive, affordable healthcare services regardless of where they live in our electorate.