I HAVE been promoting preventive heart-health care in the Mallee through a three-week initiative partnership with Novartis and the Shane Warne Legacy Foundation.
As co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Rural and Regional Health, I worked with Labor MP for Gilmore Fiona Phillips to secure a free heart-health tests in Mildura, Swan Hill and Horsham during May and June.
The testing now moves on to Ms Phillips’ NSW south coast region.
In Swan Hill 219 people were tested at Priceline Pharmacy and the aquatic and recreation centre, with almost 90 per cent of centre participants recording at least one cardiovascular disease factor and 43 per cent referred to see a GP.
The pharmacy data was slightly less concerning but still over one-third were referred to a GP.
A referral to your GP is well and good but, as the Coalition Opposition has highlighted, there have been more than three million fewer GP attendances across Australia as it becomes harder and more expensive to see a doctor under the Albanese government.
GP bulk-billing rates have plummeted since the last election. Despite Labor tripling the bulk-billing incentive, on the government’s own figures bulk billing has fallen 11 per cent over two years, 4 per cent in the past year alone.
As shadow assistant minister for regional health I am finalising policies to take to the 2024 or 2025 election to immediately address the dire shortage of doctors and other health professionals in regional Australia.
During Federal Budget week in May, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton outlined one such policy, $400 million to support junior doctors in general practice training so they are not financially worse off compared to doctors in the hospital environment.
In Opposition, I have been partnering with companies like Novartis to bring health services to our regions to enable early diagnoses.
Preventive and primary care is essential for regional Australia as we aim to improve urgent care for our most vulnerable Australians.
