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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-23 Daily Xml
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Health Workforce

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:38): My question is again to the Premier. Has the Premier seen comments made by the immediate past chair of the Royal College of GPs, Dr Danny Byrne, and if so, how does he respond? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs HURN: When commenting on ABC radio on 8 February about Victorian incentives for healthcare workers, Dr Byrne said of Peter Malinauskas, and I quote:

He doesn't think it's a problem and watch our young doctors go to Victoria next year.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:39): I am not too sure what has underpinned the sentiments from the doctor you mentioned. What I would say in respect of GPs is that it's a completely different proposition again. In respect of GPs, of course, they are a function of the commonwealth's responsibilities that is a matter of primary healthcare service delivery over which we have no influence. As I know the member for Schubert well understands, doctors practising general medicine or general practice in South Australia are not paid for by the state. In fact, they are not even paid for directly by the commonwealth. They are paid through the Medicare rebate.

We do acknowledge that there needs to be dramatic change in the Medicare system. It is something that I am advocating for on a frequent basis, including with the Prime Minister himself. Primary health care reform is urgently required. Part of the reason (not the only reason) why we see ramping going through the roof in every jurisdiction around the country—some in excess of South Australia—is because people can't get to the GP so they show up to the emergency department. There are some pretty extraordinary statistics floating around; they vary depending on the source, but some suggest that up to 30 or 40 per cent of people being treated in an emergency department could otherwise be treated by a GP if they could only get access to one.

We do need to see reform in respect of the Medicare rebate, in the state government's view. We do need a lot more people practising as GPs, not just in metropolitan Adelaide but in regional South Australia, and it's something I will continue to advocate for. But that is an area of policy that is beyond the state government's control as things currently stand, so we have to focus on what we can control.

I will say this though: in a way that I don't think has necessarily been practised consistently in the past, I am going to have zero reservations about using this office, the office of Premier, to advocate for change federally. I'm not going to lead a government that sits on its hands and allows the commonwealth—and I'm not too fussed if it's a federal Labor government or a federal conservative government—to continue to see the cratering of GP services throughout our state.

The member for Giles, the member for Stuart and the member for Mawson represent regional communities, as do a number of those opposite. You will appreciate all too well the literal cratering. Essentially, what almost amounts to a complete collapse in the provision of GP services in regional South Australia, as is the case around regional Australia, is an unmitigated disaster. It does require substantial federal government reform. Like I said, I'm not too fussed if I'm dealing with a Labor or Liberal prime minister; I'm going to continue to escalate the efforts shown by this state government to advocate for change on behalf of the commonwealth.

We've had the Strengthening Medicare Task Force exercise from the current federal government. That was only received a matter of weeks ago. We will wait and see what comes out of that, particularly in this year's federal budget. But certainly, there is agreement from every Premier, including the Liberal premiers present, that this is the number one issue for state governments around the country. There is complete unanimity of opinion, regardless of jurisdiction, regardless of the size of the state, regardless of the political persuasion of the Premier. Every jurisdiction around the country wants to see the commonwealth address this issue.

The feds have just announced the urgent care clinics here in South Australia—a good step, hopefully coming online sooner rather than later. But that alone isn't going to solve the issue when it comes to primary healthcare service delivery, and we will advocate for more.

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