media releases

Today’s announcement by the Greens of a $4.3 billion investment in integrated primary health care (the out of hospital care that most Australians need), is a welcome change from the parsimonious approach of the current Government, said Dr Tim Woodruff, vice president, Doctors Reform Society .

The Coalition’s policy finds a paltry $21 million to do a tiny trial of integration but combines it with a freezing of the GP Medicare rebate which will make it harder for cash strapped patients to sign up to the trial. The Greens have already indicated that they support an end to that rebate freeze.

It is reassuring to note that Labor too, has rejected the rebate freeze and is keen to maintain or improve access by so doing. To date it has not indicated how it will address the major need for integrated primary care but it is reassuring to note that it was Labor that introduced Medicare Locals (now replaced by Primary Healthcare Networks) for the very purpose of facilitating integrated primary health care.

We await the Labor policy on primary health care with interest.