Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The latest Medicare urgent care clinic in Brisbane officially opened its doors to patients in Murrumba Downs last month. This means thousands of people in Brisbane's outer northern suburbs will have easier access to bulk billed services provided by highly trained doctors and nurses. Importantly, this will help ease the pressure on the nearby Redcliffe and Caboolture hospitals, where over 45 per cent of presentations have been for non-urgent or semi-urgent care. The Murrumba Downs clinic is one of 11 planned to open across Queensland, with sites in Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Townsville set to take on patients soon.

Our government is delivering on our commitment to strengthen Medicare and make free health care more accessible. The former LNP government made it harder and more expensive for Australians to see a doctor. Residents of Murrumba Downs and surrounding suburbs have been let down by their local member, Mr Dutton, who offers no solutions to the high cost of accessing health care. In fact, it was their local MP, Mr Dutton, who, as health minister, tried to introduce a $7 GP tax every time someone needed to see a doctor.

Our investments in Medicare will triple the bulk-billing incentive, the largest increase in the incentive in the 40-year history of Medicare. The new urgent care clinic network is easing cost-of-living pressures for families and making it easier for Australians to get the care they need. Australians know they can trust our government to keep Medicare safe and strong, because Labor built Medicare and Labor will always defend it and protect it.