TOM CONNELL, HOST
There is a GP shortage in Australia. It's caused by a couple of major factors. One is fewer medical students when they graduate choosing to go down the GP pathway, but particularly in the regions because we usually rely on a lot of migrant doctors who haven't been coming during COVID. Labor has been talking about this in particular in opposition and the government says it will address this, so have a look do so? Joining me live as Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride. Thanks very much for your time. You've been meeting with a lot of local community groups including GPs themselves, what are they saying is needed to address the shortage and how bad is it?
EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER
This is a problem that is apparent across Australia. I've been meeting with local communities, Launceston in Tasmania, Townsville in far north Queensland, I'm here in Mildura in Victoria today. And what I'm hearing is it's never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. And this isn't something that's just happened. This is a result of almost a decade of neglect of the former government and it's something that as the Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, that I'm determined working with GPs, working with nurse practitioners, working with allied health workers to turn around. It can't be that someone living in the most rural part of Australia has a 19 year less life expectancy than someone living in a metro and this is something that is a widespread problem. It starts in the outer suburbs and continues across regional and it's felt most acutely in rural Australia.
TOM CONNELL, HOST
One core demand from GPs of all stripes it seams and doctor groups is the Medicare rebate per appointment. That's fallen as a percentage over quite a number of years now, it was frozen, but the point is the percent that is rebated has dropped again and again and again. Is that why bulk billing in particular and even GP numbers out there has dropped? Would you agree with that as a basic premise?
EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER
There are lots of contributing factors to the GP shortage and as I mentioned, this has happened over a decade of the former government. Minister Butler, the Health Minister stood up the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce not long after the election because this is one of the top priorities of our government. And those recommendations from the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce are going through the budget process and will be backed in our $750 million Strengthening Medicare Fund. There are many contributing factors and we need a coordinated and well thought out response to be able to make a genuine change to the health outcomes of people living in rural and regional Australia.
TOM CONNELL, HOST
Right and so what you're saying is one thing won't fix this issue, but money is a pretty important one whether we like it or not. So do you agree that there is a basic core issue here? That rebate the fact it's been going down in real terms is a key factor to the issue we're seeing in terms of GP shortages and not just GP shortages, but bulk billing falling off as well.
EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER
With the Medicare rate freeze that we saw under the former government has yes contributed to this problem. And it's one of the considerations of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce. And those recommendations have been going through the budget process at the moment and they will be backed in by their $750 million Strengthening Medicare Fund, but what I've heard around Australia is that there are lots of different solutions to this health care access and affordability problems that people see. Today in Mildura I've heard from the local Murray PHN who are talking about nurse practitioners and the vital role and the expanded scope of practice that they can play. So there's lots of different solutions that we need to consider but in a well coordinated, integrated and thought out response.
TOM CONNELL, HOST
Yeah, and of course, this is what Mark Butler's spoken about that you spread it through all the different people with medical expertise, you're a pharmacist i'll note, who are going to have an increased role. So I understand you're saying that that's how you can get more health care to more Australians. But you mentioned going through the budget process, yes, there's $750 million towards Strengthening Medicare, that's not going to deliver some sort of big increase to the rebate, which would be a big ticket item. Is that something seriously on the table for the government? The sort of increase that might mean that bulk billing rates start going the other way, start going up and people start taking up GPs as an elective again?
EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER
One thing that our government is being open and transparent about is the rates of bulk billing. These weren't available in real time, under the former government. So we're being open and honest about the scale and the size of the problem. I know the AMA and other advocacy groups have put forward this as part of a solution. And as I mentioned, the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce which included the AMA, included the medical colleges, have put forward solutions like this, the recommendations that come out of that, the best way that we can invest to improve accessibility and affordability and they're going through the budget process.
TOM CONNELL, HOST
And the issue though that budget processes is a pretty ruthless one right now. Is it fair to say that even amongst that health is a pretty key priority for Labor that in a budget where we're not going to see a lot of big new spending. There still is on the table, perhaps a significant increase to the Medicare rebate.
EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER
Health is an absolute top priority for our government. Labor introduced Medicare, we've always fought for Medicare, for us it's about universal health care, that no matter where you live, wherever you age, that you can get affordable and timely health care, close to home. It's one of the main reasons I put up my hand to stand for parliament. I'm a pharmacist, I worked in a regional hospital for almost 10 years. I saw the results of the former government's cuts and neglect, people turning up into emergency departments with avoidable conditions that could have been treated more safely for them through a GP. We are determined to turn around primary care to improve people's health outcomes and to better support healthcare workers and our health system.
TOM CONNELL, HOST
We've had very few doctors arriving during COVID, of course, GPs arriving in the country. What's the situation now because there's the demand, are they coming in the same numbers they were pre COVID? Is there a bit of a lull? What can you tell us about that market for want for a better word?
EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER
In terms of international medical doctors, and they have been a big part of our rural and regional healthcare workforce over the years. They are one of the top groups in terms of their processing through immigration. We know that in country processes including in the colleges and things that we are working to try to boost, but they are one of the top priorities for our government and I've spoken to the relevant Minister for Immigration, Minister Giles about these and it's something that I've also spoken to my other Cabinet colleagues about. So they're absolute a top priority, And we've also acted on distribution priority areas, which means that those international doctors are now available to a wider pool of communities who need them.
TOM CONNELL, HOST
All right. Well, we'll find out more about the money available as you say that budget processes is going on right now not long till we know. Assistant Minister Emma McBride. We'll talk after then, thanks for your time.
EMMA MCBRIDE, ASSISTANT MINISTER
Thank you.