Paula Rowe, Practice Nurse: The more that we can encourage patients to be proactive in their own healthcare management and to see their GPs regularly, the better off everyone will be.
Dr Geeta Trehan, General Practitioner: Transitioning to bulk billing has enabled us to get more patients present before the condition really becomes out of control.
Paula Rowe: I think the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program is a really good thing for Australian health.
Dr Geta Trehan: It advantages the community and you know that's the bottom line.
Paula Rowe: It's going to allow greater accessibility and greater affordability, which are two very important things when we're talking about optimising people's health.
Di Williams, Practice Manager: We have noticed that bookings are quite solidly full each day now, rather than having gaps.
Paula Rowe: And we're getting more new patients as well.
Dr Geta Trehan: We did our maths and we found that we were actually going to be better off financially under the Bulk Billing Incentive Program.
Paula Rowe: Administratively, it's a lot smoother when there's just that blanket rule for majority of the billing, so it's been quite seamless, really, the transition. If anything, it's simplified things a great deal.
Di Williams: Our patients have given us lots of very positive feedback about how it's taken a weight off their mind being able to access that consultations for free.
Paula Rowe: I would encourage any GP clinic considering transitioning over to the Bulk Billing Incentive to go for it.
Di Williams: Personally, I think it's a really good thing.
For more information, please visit the website [health.gov.au/BBPIP].