Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the chamber today, I want to highlight the absolutely amazing job the Albanese Labor government is doing in the health space. First, I want to talk about medication affordability, something I know all too well as an emergency department doctor, people rationing their medications every second or third day, making those chronic illnesses become acute exacerbations, with people ending up in our emergency departments and much, much worse.

Take, for example, blood thinning medications. We have an arrhythmia of the heart, a clot forms and a stroke occurs. That medication is apixaban. It's a blood thinner and is used in the prevention of stroke. That's now being lowered, as a result of Labor's medication policies. There are other medications, for conditions like diabetes or asthma, which, if taken on a regular basis, can prevent acute exacerbations.

I also want to highlight our further health commitments to strengthen Medicare and take pressure off our hospitals and GPs through urgent care centres. If you're too sick to the GP but not sick enough for the emergency department, normally you don't have anywhere to go—and you haven't had anywhere to go, for the past 10 years, under those opposite. They haven't been bulk-billed. There's been nowhere to go. Under an Albanese Labor government, there's going to be an urgent care centre. If you're too sick for the GP but not sick enough for the emergency department, there are extended operating hours for both adults and children—and, most importantly, it's going to be bulk-billed. That's really important for patient access, not just in my community on the Central Coast but in places like the member for Macnamara's electorate. It's really, really important that we improve patient access for Australians right across the country.

I'm so proud that the Albanese Labor government has committed two urgent care clinics, one in Robertson and one in Dobell, for the people of the Central Coast. It's absolutely vital that we ensure patients get to see a doctor when they need to see a doctor for those issues. It's been such a shame and, I'd say, disappointing that over the last 10 years there hasn't been a focus on health care, there hasn't been a focus on disability and there hasn't been a focus on aged care.

I can tell you now, Deputy Speaker Claydon and those in the chamber today, that there is a focus on those care sectors of our nation. We are focused on reform in aged care, we are focused on reforming disability in the NDIS and we are focused on reform in the health space because it's important, because it matters to everyone. It matters to each and every person, right across this country, that they get access to good health care, good aged care and good disability support.

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

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.