Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, may I correct something I said when referring to military superannuation earlier? I should have talked about my role in the Podger review, not the Matthews review. I just want to correct the record on that.

Tonight, I draw the attention of the House to a number of interrelated health obstacles and issues of concern to the Dunkley community. First, the Gillard government's decision to means-test the private health insurance rebate will drive many of the 63,806 Dunkley residents, who represent 15,300 families and 16,940 single adults with private health insurance, out of the private health system. As people drop out of the insurance pool, the costs become more expensive for all those left with cover, which will in turn force even more people to drop or downgrade their insurance coverage. It is estimated that the cost of premiums will increase by 10 per cent, adding further to the cost-of-living pressures that all Dunkley residents who keep their private health insurance currently face. Frankston Hospital does a great job under difficult circumstances but will face even greater demand on its resources as people move out of the private health system and into the already stretched public hospital system.

A second pressure point relates to the vital role played by the after-hours GP Medicentre which is co-located with Frankston Hospital. The Medicentre treats 10,000 patients annually and takes pressure off the Frankston Hospital A&E department by handling less critical cases on a bulk-billing basis for concession card holders and a modest copayment for others. This enables local GP practices to provide extended hours of service without having to open their clinics and attend those extra hours themselves or to be on on-call standby to respond to patient needs. Instead, doctors are rostered on to treat patients after hours and relevant medical information is referred back to the patient's regular doctor.

Medicentre collaborates with and complements, rather than competes with, GPs and their practices, yet has faced continuing challenges placed on it by this government. While claiming improved access to after-hours GP services is a priority, the Rudd-Gillard government has actually reduced their funding. Support for practice nurses has been removed. Requests to reshape the MBS start time for higher after-hours GP consultation fees for services expressly set up for this purpose go ignored. The expense of securing the formal accreditation has opened no doors for additional assistance and support. With the Medicentre's funding set to expire at the end of this financial year, its future is unclear and uncertain despite its success, obvious value and crucial role in keeping GPs active through the better work-life balance that it helps to secure.

Keeping GPs active in their career is important for the Dunkley community, with much of the electorate recognised as a district of workforce shortage. A GP Network workforce survey conducted last year identified 65 per cent of respondent practices were subject to workforce shortage pressures and about half of these characterised their situation as urgent. In addition to the inability to replace retiring doctors and fill registrar positions, our local challenges are compounded by having a higher proportion—37 per cent—of local doctors over the age of 55 compared to the state average, and a likely reduction in the working hours of these mature-aged GPs.

Workforce shortages add another push factor for GPs to leave the profession. Patrick Chung from Karingal's Total Care Medical Group has advertised for more than two years in Australasian GP journals for a replacement for a retiring doctor, generating not a single inquiry. Another doctor is approaching retirement age and is keen to hang up his stethoscope if a replacement for him can be found. In Mr Chung's case, his three part-time doctors service 12,000 local patients. They have been doing it for three decades, in some cases treating three generations of the same family. They also provide medical care on request for local aged-care facilities.

Mr Chung sought an exemption under section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act to enable his practice to recruit an overseas trained doctor. This request had the full support of the Peninsula GP Network, which emphasised the 'desperate need of additional general practitioners' and confirmed Total Care Medical Centre as 'one of those practices that is severely impacted by local workforce issues'. Mr Chung's request has been declined. Had Mr Chung's GP practice been on the other side of the road, across the Karingal Hub car park his facility looks over, his practice would have been in a district of workforce shortage and would most likely have been granted approval to recruit a suitable overseas trained doctor.

The fact that he clearly has urgent workforce challenges, services patients from the designated workforce shortage neighbourhoods he adjoins and has the strong support of his local GP Network simply was not enough.

I will help Mr Chung make another application, again pointing out these facts and the special circumstances he addresses in providing medical care to numerous local aged-care providers and for asylum seekers in community detention. Let's hope common sense prevails and this government does not put another obstacle in front of accessible and affordable health care for Dunkley residents.