An Albanese Labor Government will address the GP crisis across the Central Coast by making the region a Distribution Priority Area (DPA), giving local practices the chance to recruit and retain more GPs.
The Central Coast has been facing a severe shortage of GPs for years because the Morrison Government refuses to recognise the region as a priority.
Under the Morrison Government, it’s never been harder or more expensive to see a GP on the Coast.
Labor understands that health is the bedrock of our society.
That’s why we will address the GP shortage across the entire Coast.
GP catchments to be given DPA status under Labor include: Toukley – Budgewoi, Wyong, Bateau Bay – The Entrance, Erina, Terrigal, Kincumber – Box Head, Gosford, and Kariong.
This will allow local practices in these areas to recruit and retain more GPs from a wider pool of doctors, including overseas trained doctors and bonded medical practitioners.
The Morrison Government has spent years denying the crisis they helped create through changes to the DPA indicator, and only yesterday took baby steps to rectify their mistakes by making small parts of the region a DPA.
Labor understands this crisis isn’t just restricted to Wyong and Toukley.
That’s why we initiated the Senate Inquiry into GP services in outer-metropolitan, regional, and rural Australia.
While this inquiry is ongoing, evidence presented to the inquiry makes it perfectly clear there is a chronic and severe GP shortage across the Central Coast. The Senate Inquiry is progressively identifying areas of chronic GP shortages and where there are endemic shortages, we will continue to act.
We have listened to doctors and the Central Coast community, and we will act to ensure practices can recruit and retain the GPs our region desperately needs.
The Morrison Government has presided over Australia’s GP shortage for years and their policy decisions have only exacerbated this crisis.
Only Labor can be trusted to end the GP crisis in the Central Coast.