Ellie Whiteaker (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government has a big agenda on health care—a big agenda to strengthen Medicare. We are committed to expanding access to the health care that Australians need, to making accessing health care more affordable for ordinary Australians right across the country. We want to make sure that Australians can get the health care and the medicines that they need when they need them at an affordable price. The truth is that, when we came to office, it had never been harder to access health care. It had never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. Bulk-billing was in freefall after years of neglect by the Liberal Party. Too many Australians were putting off getting the health care they needed because they couldn't afford it. That's why strengthening Medicare has been a key focus for the Albanese Labor government since coming into government in 2022 and now into our second term—more bulk-billing, more nurses and doctors, and cheaper medicines, because what we know is that, when people can access the healthcare that they need, their outcomes are better. When they access care early, they can catch health issues sooner before they become more serious and costly to treat.

Everywhere I go I hear this same story from doctors and patients in the community, particularly in my home state of Western Australia. Patients say that, when it's tough for them to access the health care they need, they put off seeing a doctor. When medicines are more expensive, they put off buying the medicines that they need. This is why we have made the single largest investment in Medicare since it was created by Labor over 40 years ago, expanding bulk-billing so that more people can see a GP for free, delivering Medicare urgent care clinics right across the country, delivering Medicare mental healthcare clinics, training more doctors, supporting nurses and, of course, delivering cheaper medicines. We want to make sure that no Australian is held back from getting the health care that they need and that no Australian is left behind because of the cost.

This bill builds on that work in a really practical and targeted way. It is another example of our government's commitment to making health care more accessible and more affordable for Australians. It empowers nurses to work to their full scope of practice and will improve access to medicines for ordinary Australians. The bill allows registered nurses to prescribe certain medicines under the PBS. Simply, it means that patients will be able to get a prescription easier and at a lower cost. It ensures that care delivered in appropriate settings is backed by affordability and that access to medicines is not restricted by whom you see but by what you need.

This is about making better use of the healthcare workforce that we already have—the healthcare workforce that works day in and day out to help Australians. Registered nurses are highly trained, highly skilled and highly trusted. They are present right across the country and are often the first contact for patients. They play a critical role in delivering the health care that Australians need. But, too often, they're not able to work to their full scope of practice. This reform goes to changing that so that health care can be delivered further to those who need it most. Medicines can be accessed more quickly. Alongside our cheaper medicines plan, where medicines are $25 on the PBS and the lowest that they've been since 2004, it means the whole system works better—the right care delivered by the right professional at the right time.

We've seen the impact of our investment on health care right across the system, whether it's in primary care, in making GPs able to bulk-bill, in hospitals or in aged-care, disability and mental-health settings. We can see that our investment is working. I am seeing it in my home state of Western Australia. We are committed to a health system that works as a system. When different professionals across the healthcare sector are supported to do the work that they are more than capable of doing and to work at their full capacity, patients will see the full benefits.

Of course this matter everywhere across the country, but I think it is particularly important in rural, regional and remote parts of our country, where access to health care can be much more challenging. Travel is often required over long distances for basic care. This is another way we can support people in these parts in receiving the health care they need closer to home—easier access to the medicines that they need. We want patients to benefit from this faster, more coordinated care.

It is important to say that this bill is backed up by extensive research by the Nursing and Midwifery Board and the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer. We know that many registered nurses have the capacity to prescribe certain types of medicines, so this is something that we know will work. With a national registration standard already in place, we can kick off these nurse-prescribers pretty quickly, with the first cohort of enrolled nurse-prescribers expected from July this year, just a couple of months away. We are taking quick action to deliver this bill. It's a measured reform that improve access, supports affordability and will strengthen Medicare.

I am really proud of our government's record on health care. I am so proud to be a member of the Albanese Labor government, which is committed to making sure every Australian, no matter where in our great country they live, can access affordable and accessible health care. We want every Australian to know they can see a doctor when they need it, where they need it. We want nine out of 10 Australians to be able to see a bulk-billing GP. We want Australians to be able to afford the medicines they need. We don't want Australians to have to put off seeing a doctor or getting the medicines they need in order to stay well because cost is a barrier.

That is why we have made the biggest investment in Medicare since it was created 40 years ago. Medicare is a proud Labor legacy. It is our commitment to every Australian, no matter where they live, no matter their age, that they can access the health care they need when they need it. Only Labor is committed to doing the important work of protecting and strengthening Medicare.