Healthcare in regional Australia is on life support under Labor, with another General Practice surgery set to shut its doors by month’s end. The closure of Sonic Health’s Moranbah clinic highlights the deepening healthcare crisis in Capricornia, where the bulk billing rate has plummeted by 11 per cent, forcing hardworking Australians to pay record-high fees to see a doctor.
Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, expressed her dismay at the clinic’s impending closure, pointing the finger squarely at Labor’s disastrous changes to Distribution Priority Areas (DPA).
“Labor’s decision to overhaul the DPA is draining doctors from our regional communities and funnelling them into suburban areas of capital cities. This reckless move is leaving regional Australians in the lurch, with fewer doctors, fewer services, and greater health inequities,” Ms Landry said.
“Your postcode should not determine whether you can access healthcare but that’s exactly what Labor’s policies have done. They’ve abandoned regional Australians for political convenience, robbing Peter to pay Paul.
“To make matters worse, Australia is staring down the barrel of a critical shortfall of 8,000 GPs by 2031. Meanwhile, bulk billing rates have fallen, leaving 1.5 million Australians unable to afford a doctor in 2023-24 alone, as revealed in Cleanbill’s recent report.,” Ms. Landry said.
In contrast, the Coalition is determined to fix this crisis and restore confidence in regional healthcare. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has unveiled a $400 million plan to develop a robust pipeline of home-trained GPs to address Labor’s primary care failures.
“An elected Coalition government will deliver targeted financial incentives to encourage junior doctors to train as GPs in communities like Moranbah and beyond. We’ll build a future where regional Australians have access to the healthcare they deserve,” Ms Landry said.
“The Regional Medical Pathway at CQUniversity is a shining example of what we can achieve. Programs like these, which train doctors locally, encourage graduates to stay in the regions, providing long-term benefits to communities. These initiatives will be the cornerstone of our healthcare policies.”
