Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister advise the House how the government is providing better access to doctors after hours?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Boothby for his question. I acknowledge his former role as a public hospital doctor in Adelaide. I have to say, it is nice to get a health question. Isn’t it interesting that they only come from members on this side of the House? I am not so surprised, because this government is proud of our Medicare system, and that is why we are always trying to make a good system even better. To take a few examples, we provided incentives that mean that the bulk-billing rates for children and country people are at an all-time high, we have brought allied health professionals such as physiotherapists and psychologists into Medicare for the first time in history and the government will shortly be spending $1.9 billion on mental health because this area has been too long neglected.

In this instance, let me say that the government has certainly not neglected the need for after-hour GP services. This government supports fee for service, and that is why we have put a $10 loading onto after-hour GP consultations. So far $53 million has been spent on our round-the-clock Medicare loading. But sometimes additional incentives are needed both to start new after-hour clinics and to keep old ones going. Last week the government announced that there would be five new after-hour clinics, each to be funded to the tune of $200,000, and 37 existing after-hour clinics would receive $100,000 to stay open, including one at the Blackwood and District Community Hospital in the electorate of Boothby. These new commitments are part of meeting an important election commitment and they help to demonstrate that this government, not that opposition, is most definitely the best friend that Medicare has ever had.