The 2023 Federal Budget has been welcomed by doctors’ groups as a much-needed investment in Australia’s healthcare system, in response to their repeated calls for action.
The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has welcomed the federal Budget as a game changer for GPs, practice teams and the patients they care for across Australia, while the AMA said it was “delighted” that the Government had listened.
“I commend the Albanese Government for committing to this massive investment in general practice care,” RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said.
“This $5.7 billion funding package puts patients first: it will help to stem the bleeding, relieve pressure on our entire healthcare system including our hospitals, and ease pressures on people struggling to afford the care they need.
“We know the problems impacting our health system can’t all be fixed in one go, but [this] Budget includes a ground-breaking investment in the health of all Australians by strengthening general practice care – the Government has shown real commitment to strengthening Medicare and rebuilding general practice care for all patients.”
The AMA’s President, Professor Steve Robson, called it a “health budget” and praised the Government for listening to the recommendations and requests made by doctors’ groups.
“We absolutely welcome the enormous injection that we’ve seen tonight in funding to immediately make healthcare and general practice visits affordable and accessible to the most vulnerable Australians,” President Robson said.
“We’ve also seen funding for things the AMA have been taking to the Government: we’ve asked for funding for longer Telehealth consultations; we’ve asked for funding for longer in-person consultations; we’ve asked for better funding models for wound care.
“All these things have been listened to and we’re delighted the Government has responded with funding.”
In their pre-budget submission to the Government, the AMA had asked for a doubling of bulkbilling incentives and the Association acknowledged that the 2023-23024 Budget had more than delivered on this request.
“The tripling of the bulkbilling incentive is going to make it a lot easier for practices around the country to provide that care to the vulnerable patients they want to look after, so we absolutely welcome it,” President Robson said.
“We think that, around the country, there are practices everywhere that want to provide affordable and accessible care for vulnerable Australians, but they couldn’t make it financially work.
“The incentives we’ve seen announced tonight in this Budget are going to make it much easier. So, we think that this is going to be just a great thing for the Australians who need it most.”
Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mr Mark Butler, in an interview with RN Breakfast on 12 May 2023, said that the increase would ensure that access to a GP offering bulkbilled services would improve for most Australians.
“You can always find some who will make a business decision not to bulkbill, and I hope that their patients shop around and find a practice that will bulkbill because this, as the College of GPs has said, is going to be a ‘game changer’,” Minister Butler said, noting that the Council which represents large corporate practices had expressed a similar view.
“Now, maybe not every doctor will take this up but if they don’t, they don’t get the money obviously, and hopefully a practice down the road will.
“And if a patient, if a mum, dad, and a pensioner want a bulkbilled session, they know that there is a general practice that has been properly rewarded for that service.”
Minister Butler explained that even though the increased incentives applied to less than half the population, it accounted for more than 60% of the throughput of a general practice.
“I hope tens of thousands of GPs out there know they’ve got a government in Canberra now that recognises how critical their work is, how valuable their work is as the backbone of our broader healthcare system,” he said.
“We’ve got long experience that shows that when bulkbilling GP clinics change their practice, the hospitals in the area tend to see more presentations at EDs.
“That’s why I think what’s really been interesting is the last few months, National Cabinet meetings, you’ve seen Premiers and Chief Ministers start to talk about general practice – usually, they want to talk to us about hospital funding.
“They recognise now that the real challenges in general practice are showing up at their EDs and that’s why you’ve seen some really positive responses from Premiers to our announcements.”