Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Abbott Liberal government's approach to health has been nothing short of calamitous and has had a profound negative impact on families and individuals in my electorate of Newcastle.

In their first budget last year, more than $150 million was ripped out of the Hunter-New England Health's budget, a major hit to our local hospitals and health services. Beyond immediate cuts other health services still face an uncertain future, with the new health minister extending funding for vital programs by just one year. This includes vital services in drug and alcohol treatment, mental health and important rural health programs.

The people of Newcastle were let down again by the Prime Minister when he broke his promise not to close any Medicare Locals. Instead, Hunter Medicare Local will close next month. While a level of primary care coordination will continue in Newcastle under the new Primary Health Network, a number of services currently delivered by our Medicare Local are now faced with closure.

One service in particular, our GP Access After Hours service will close on 30 June if they do not receive funding certainty in tonight's budget. More than one million Hunter residents have used GP Access After Hours since its inception more than a decade ago, easing pressure on already overworked hospital emergency departments and providing families and individuals with access to quality GP care after hours.

Today I again call on the government to give GP Access After Hours the funding certainty it needs to continue its important work in our community. The people of Newcastle deserve no less. (Time expired)

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