Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was terrific to have the Prime Minister visit Tasmania to officially open the first of two urgent care clinics for Hobart last week. A third is already open in Launceston, and a fourth is in the wings for the north-west. The Hobart clinic has been seeing patients for two weeks, which led some of the local media to ask, 'Why was it opened without an announcement?' It underscores the difference in approach between the Albanese Labor government and the former Liberal government. Our focus is on the delivery of service, not the delivery of announcements. There was no way we were not going to open those doors just so we could wait to have a media event.

We are delighted the PM visited to officially open the urgent care clinic, but we're even more excited about the fact that more than 400 patients have already been through its doors. That's the important bit: getting people treated. The urgent care clinics are doing the job they're meant to do: they're taking pressure off hospital emergency departments by treating people for ailments and injuries that don't require a hospital level of care. There was no better illustration of this than when the PM met young Ryder and his mum, Sarah, who live in my electorate, in New Norfolk, about 25 kilometres from the clinic. Ryder was there because he'd fallen off his skateboard and fractured his arm. His mum says that, from walking in the door of the clinic to walking out, with Ryder having been diagnosed, X-rayed and treated, and with his arm cast and put in a sling, it took all of 90 minutes and it was all bulk-billed. What a testament to the dedication and skill of the health professionals, the doctors, nurses, pharmacist, radiologist and other staff, who all had a hand in caring for young Ryder and hundreds of other Tasmanians coming through those doors.

That's the difference these urgent care clinics are making by taking pressure off emergency departments, saving people, saving families, from having to wait hours for the care they deserve. It's just one element of what the Albanese Labor government is doing to repair a decade of health-system neglect. We are entering into innovative models of care with state governments to address shortages across regional Australia. I know every regional MP in here knows of the crisis in regional health. We're looking to extend the scope of practice for health professionals like pharmacists, nurse practitioners and paramedics, so they can better use their skills to deliver much needed services. We've tripled bulk-billing incentives and we've made medicines cheaper.

It will take longer than one term of government to fix a decade of damage, but we are determined to get it done.