With the Federal Budget on its way, ACRRM calls on the Commonwealth Government to look to its own Australian Institute of Health Welfare report released this month General practice, allied health and other primary care services to recognise the urgent need to restore equitable healthcare services to rural and remote people. 

Some key statistics from the report and its source documents include:

• People living in outer regional, remote, or very remote areas compared to than those living in major cities were:
• 7.1% more likely to report waiting longer than they felt acceptable for a GP appointment
• 14% more likely to wait for 24 hours or more to see a GP for urgent medical care
• 3.4% less likely to see a medical specialist
• 2.9% less likely to see an a/h GP
• 10% less likely to have private health insurance
• 8.2% less likely to see a dental professional
• 2.9% more likely to be admitted to hospital (ABS 2022)
• People living in regional Primary Healthcare Network (PHN) areas also received less Medicare-subsidised allied health services for mental health care, than those living in metropolitan PHN areas. (AIHW 2022a) 

The breadth of areas of unmet healthcare need point to the critical role for local GPs with the Rural Generalist scope who can work in healthcare teams in clinics and hospitals to fill the gaps.  

ACRRM has detailed its key priorities toward restoring remote and rural health services. You can also see the College’s prebudget submission, here.