Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the member for Bowman's motion, which notes:

(1) families across Australia are paying the price for the Government's broken promises on Medicare, with out of pocket general practitioner (GP) costs now almost $50 on average;

(2) the former Government left office with bulk billing rates at almost 90 per cent and lower GP out of pocket costs;

(3) the Prime Minister has broken his promise that Australians would only need their Medicare card, not their credit card, with costs continuing to rise and bulk billing continuing to plummet in 32 electoral divisions;

(4) only 13 per cent of metropolitan clinics have signed up to the Government's bulk billing program, with local GP practices struggling under the Government's rising cost of doing business crisis, including skyrocketing energy bills and rent; and

(5) the Government is using Medicare as a political football while ignoring the real pressures facing patients and GPs, leaving families in Australia saying it has never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor.

Department of Health, Disability and Ageing officials have admitted that out-of-pocket costs for patients are almost $50 on average, the highest on record, and will continue to go up. At the same time, GP bulk-billing rates in the Flynn electorate have fallen from 81.5 per cent under the coalition to 74.6 per cent under the Labor government. Local residents tell me it's harder and more expensive to see a doctor, which is feedback that is backed up by the government's own data. The Prime Minister keeps waving around his Medicare card in complete disregard for the struggles facing patients and family practices.

While out-of-pocket costs are a huge issue for Central Queensland and the Wide Bay regions, some regions in the Flynn electorate don't even have access to GPS or health professionals. One way that I believe this can be improved or addressed is by partnering with local universities such as Central Queensland University and James Cook University. It is fundamental that governments support training centres in rural and regional areas, as we all know that if more doctors and health professionals can train locally they are more likely to stay locally. An example of this is the Emerald Allied Health Facility, which was opened in August of this year. Delivered in partnership between James Cook University's Central Queensland Centre for Rural and Remote Health, Central Highlands Rural Health and the Australian government, the new facility will support both the community and the next generation of health professionals. I was proud to stand alongside the former regional health minister Dr David Gillespie and former member for Flynn Ken O'Dowd back in 2022 when this initiative was first announced under the coalition government. The new clinic and training centre will bring allied health services closer to home, reducing the need for families to travel long distances. It supports students and clinicians to train and practice rurally, creates opportunities for local carers in health and strengthens the workforce retention in the Central Highlands.

Another example of a model that clearly works is the Regional Medical Pathway. The pathway allows for up to 60 students per year to complete their entire medical studies in regional Queensland. It sees students complete a three-year Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathway to Medicine) course with CQUniversity before moving to UQ's four-year MD program, with both education programs delivered locally in Bundaberg or Rockhampton. As part of the partnership, the hospital and health services will provide students with internship opportunities and postgraduate training places within their regional footprints. The first intake of students entered the pathway in 2022, with aspiring doctors from across Australia relocating to Bundaberg and Rockhampton to commence CQUniversity's Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathway to Medicine) degree.

While issues regarding regional health are complex and won't be fixed overnight, it's important that this Labor government and the Prime Minister stop gaslighting Australians about bulk-billing and the availability of GPs. The simple fact is that almost every time an Australian goes to the doctor, the need for both their credit card and their Medicare card is evident. The coalition has launched a new website, www.howmuchdoyoupay.au, calling on Australians to share their real experience about the true cost of seeing a GP. We know it's never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor, and it's time the Labor government admitted this and do something to alleviate the chronic shortage of health professionals across Australia.

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