Join our daily newsletter At The Bell to receive exclusive market insights
The Doctors Reform Society has put the Albanese government on blast for its decision to commit $3 billion to build new submarines while Australia’s healthcare system struggles.
The medico-political thinktank said the major AUKUS submarine deal went against Labor’s commitments to improve a system that currently saw many healthcare workers struggle to make ends meet and patients struggle to get the care they need.
President of the Doctors Reform Society Tim Woodruff said more and more GPs felt exhausted by the government’s lack of commitment to helping provide affordable healthcare.
“The recent announcement that the upcoming budget will commit $3 billion over the next three years for submarines to prepare for an attack of some kind by China stands in complete contrast to Labor’s interest in access to health care — particularly for the most vulnerable in our society”, Dr Woodruff said.
Dr Woodruff stated that once general practices decided they could no longer bulk bill, patients who were most vulnerable would likely never go back.
“The Health Minister refuses to do anything except talk about the May budget with no detail, no commitments: just a vague agreement on commendable changes which will take years to implement,” Dr Woodruff said.
“Patients now or submarines for the unknown future. Sadly the government’s priorities do not include our patients.”
Healthcare in crisis
This dismay of the Doctors Reform Society comes amid escalated action from tired and overworked paramedics around the country.
Last week, members of the Australian Paramedics Association of New South Wales (APA NSW) announced their refusal to leave home communities in protest of the government’s lack of action on the emergency healthcare crisis.
The five-day protest follows a two-week ban on entering patient billing information and reporting on KPIs. The refusal to work is set to last until March 25.
The NSW Paramedics Association said it desperately needed more specialist paramedics and patient transport officers, a triaging reform, and massive investments in regional health and community healthcare.
Paramedics say they want a “real” pay rise or at least substantive action to be taken on the key issues exacerbating the country’s healthcare crisis.
“Paramedics are sick and tired of being ignored, or almost worse than that, given platitudes instead of a pay rise,” APA NSW President Chris Kastelan said.
“This action is us saying if you’re not going to care for us and our communities, we’re going to take care of each other.”
Paired with paramedic concerns and worrying GP attendance rates, Australia is also falling behind in prostate cancer care.
Cancer experts on Monday issued an urgent press release outlining the extreme need for innovative prostate cancer treatment.
Experts want treatments for men living with more advanced forms of the disease to be covered by medicare lest Australia risk falling behind global standards of care.
According to Joseph Bucci, a Radiation Oncologist in Sydney, Australian men deserve better.
“Australian men living with cancer that has spread beyond the prostate still lack access to the combination treatment on medicare,” Dr Bucci said.
The Doctors Reform Society said there was a simple solution to the healthcare problem that the government was ignoring.
“It could today increase the already existing incentive for GPs to bulk bill, which is currently just $7 per patient. But it refuses, whilst at the same time committing billions to submarines for the future,” Dr Woodruff said.
It seems, however, that the calls have so far fallen on deaf ears while, at the same time, the government commits billions to submarines for future unknown endeavours.
