Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, I'd like to join others in this House who have recognised and acknowledged the critical work of healthcare workers across Australia during the pandemic. I'd like to especially acknowledge those on the Central Coast in the electorate I represent. As we faced COVID-19 it was a privilege as a volunteer pharmacist immuniser to help boost vaccination rates in our community.

I rise to speak on the Health Insurance Amendment (Enhancing the Bonded Medical Program and Other Measures) Bill 2021 and to support the amendment moved by the member for Cooper. The purpose of the bill is to amend the Health Insurance Act 1973 to enhance implementation of the Bonded Medical Program and the administration of medical rural bonded scholarship contracts under section 19 of the act. The program is designed to address a doctor shortage across rural, regional and remote Australia, but this shortage has only gotten worse under the Morrison government.

I have spoken countless times about the acute GP shortage that we're facing in Australia, particularly in the outer suburbs and the regions—as soon as you live anywhere outside a big city. But, despite the growing crisis, this government has been slow to act. That's why we have been forced to establish a Senate inquiry into the provision of GPs and related primary health services in outer metro, regional and rural Australia. The inquiry will consider the performance of programs such as this one. Many submissions have been made from my electorate so far—from the Central Coast Community Women's Health Centre; local GPs, like Dr Brad Cranney; and local surgeries. They know that the problem is real and that it is only getting worse.

In my community the GP shortage is now a crisis. On the coast getting in to see a GP has never been tougher. The government's distribution priority area classification—and I've spoken to the minister about this myself—excluding most of the Central Coast, particularly the northern part of the Central Coast that I represent, is making it harder to get an appointment. Unfortunately, this is true for many communities in outer metropolitan, rural and regional Australia. We're now seeing a two-tiered health system in Australia, where care is increasingly determined by where you live and how much you can pay. This means that people living outside big cities are finding it much more difficult to access care and access critical care close to home, leading to poorer health outcomes in rural and regional communities, which is made worse by longer wait times, higher out-of-pocket costs and a shortage of healthcare workers.

The Morrison government's DPA classification has had a significant and detrimental impact on my community. It means doctors in the Bonded Medical Program can't meet their return-of-service obligation in our community, making the local GP shortage even worse. It has made it extremely difficult for local practices to recruit and retain GPs. I've spoken to so many GPs who are struggling to get through the COVID-19 pandemic and be able to meet the needs of people who want to get a jab, who need critical health information and who need routine care. Regular health screening has been delayed.

This is a crisis in our community. In a community like mine—where one in five people are aged over 65 and, at the other end, there are lots of young families—people can't get a GP. They can't find a GP. The books are being closed. To get an appointment they're being forced to travel back to where they were before. It's just not good enough. I have heard from countless GPs working in local practices. They have reported increased waiting times since we lost our DPA status. Not only is it frustrating that people in my community must wait weeks to see a GP but also it is risky.

Debate interrupted.

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