Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've spoken about health and the looming medical crisis in my electorate on many occasions in this place, and I think COVID-19 and the global pandemic have shown us one thing: if you have your health, you have one of the principle keys to the kingdom. Since the last federal election, I've seen an endless stream of doctors and practice managers come to my office, email me and reach out. They are desperate. Coalition governments at both state and federal levels should be ashamed of the mess they have made of health care. They have made it incredibly difficult for regional GPs and our health service. The government's Modified Monash Model, while I understand the detail in it, has not worked for some regional communities, and mine is one of them. It is the census data that forms the road map for regional health, and sadly this road map undermines local doctors, like those in my electorate, and disincentivises doctors moving to our area—and we so desperately need them.

My community already has mass waiting lists, with many practices from Maitland and Port Stephens closing their books. The locals can't get an appointment, let alone the influx of tourists we will see coming to our magnificent part of the world in the coming Christmas and New Year period and throughout the year. We love people coming, and we want them to be able to receive expert medical care while they're in Port Stephens and in my electorate more generally. The reasonable request from junior doctors— (Time expired)