Media Releases

“There is much talk of Health Policy coming into this election and all parties have committed to major spending across many areas,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, Vice-President, Doctors Reform Society. “However, the delivery of better health outcomes for all Australians is not simply sorted by feeding money into an archaic 40-year-old funding model. Reform is needed and has been largely ignored by the major parties.”

“If progressive independents, Teals, and Greens hold the balance of power we may see genuine reform soon,” said Dr Woodruff. “If Labor is returned perhaps the reforms they have been working on but have no apparent plans to implement might eventually see daylight. There is nothing to suggest the Coalition wants progressive reform.”

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“The budget has highlighted a range of Medicare changes all previously released. They are welcome changes,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, Vice President of the Doctors Reform Society. “But the Health Minister has announced almost nothing to address the structural reforms needed to update Medicare, reforms which he announced as Chair of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce in early 2023.” Read more

“Why has health care been almost ignored in this year’s budget”, asks Dr Peter Davoren, Secretary, Doctors Reform Society. In January last year Health Minister Butler said, “Frankly I think our general practice right now is in the worst shape it has been in the 40-year history of Medicare,” His Strengthening Medicare Taskforce made many recommendations and the Minister said at the time that ‘a comprehensive revamp’ was required, including addressing ‘structural issues’. Read more

“As suggested today by an article in The Australian, Medicare itself is under disastrous mismanagement,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “The Department of Health, along with the Professional Services Review Board appear incapable of looking after the interests of patients trying to access services from an out of date not fit for purpose Medicare.” Read more

As reported in the Australian today, there is a radical proposal now to address the appalling decline in bulk billing for patients across Australian. “The Doctors Reform Society welcomes these great suggestions which are indeed radical but intended to achieve the very mainstream idea of health equity i.e. equal access to equal care for equal need,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President of the Doctors Reform Society. Read more

The recent announcement that the upcoming budget will commit $3 billion over the next 3 years for submarines to prepare for attack of some kind by China stands in complete contrast to Labor’s interest in access to health care, particularly for the most vulnerable in our society”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. Read more

The mixed blessings of the New Year regarding our health services includes a bipartisan agreement that the cost of prescription medicine is too much and the payment per prescription will drop from $42 to $30 today.

“That’s great” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “The flip side is that the Government has now decided to cut the number of funded visits to psychologists from 20 to 10. A review has indicated that the effect of having 20 (increased because of covid), had resulted in less new patients being able to access psychologists because they are too busy reviewing old patients. Thus, the probable benefit to a small number of patients getting lots of visits has meant that new patients don’t even get a first appointment.” Read more

“The Federal Government has now agreed to fund telephone consults longer than 20 minutes. This means that a small group of the most vulnerable in our community have proper access to GPs”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “This is very welcome news.” Read more