Today’s health ministers meeting is a critical day for Australians whose access to essential healthcare is in jeopardy right now under state and federal Labor governments.
The priority for health ministers must be to address the escalating cost of going to a doctor during this cost-of-living crisis.
The Albanese Labor Government has failed Australians over the last two years as the cost of going to a doctor has skyrocketed and bulkbilling has plummeted by 11%.
As the costs rise, we know Australians are being forced to choose between accessing primary care or paying the bills. Last financial year, we saw 2.4 million less GP services provided to Australians.
Despite Health Minister Mark Butler’s misleading rhetoric that his government is fixing Medicare, he must accept the reality that it has literally never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. This is having serious flow-on consequences for our hospitals.
Health ministers must also use this opportunity to reassure the public about the action they are taking to address dangerous shortage of saline IV fluids impacting hospitals across the country.
As doctors and health professionals on the frontline are being forced to ration drips because of the Government’s failure to secure supplies, Australian patients need a guarantee that they will not be harmed by this crisis.
The Finance Minister admitted this week that the Albanese Government became aware of the impending shortage more than a year ago.
There are serious and immediate questions to be answered by our health ministers, including why it has taken so long to act and how significant the impact is going to be for our hospitals.
Finally, following the Coalition’s advocacy on behalf of the children and parents bravely battling neuroblastoma, health ministers must provide an immediate update on access to DFMO for those families.
ENDS
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