A report titled Access Denied: Australians Locked Out of Quality Healthcare, was released recently which showed that in the Murray region, which incorporates Corowa and Mulwala, the number of people delaying/avoiding visits to the specialist due to cost more than tripled since 2020, almost one in five (19%) waited one + month for public dental care which increased over 200% since 2020 and there was significantly lower ownership of private health insurance compared to NSW overall (40% v 58%).
Cara Varian. Chief executive of NCOSS (NSW Council of Social Service) the peak social services body who commissioned the University of Canberra study, said the report found that patient experiences with vital health services in NSW had gone backwards since its 2020 report and that regional areas were more heavily impacted than metropolitan areas.
“This report illustrates that the health system is broken,” Ms Varian said.
“When people can’t afford the most fundamental medical care it leads to bad health outcomes and puts pressure on hospitals.
“These statistics are particularly alarming in regional areas and are a wake-up call for the NSW and Commonwealth Governments to improve affordability and out-of-pocket costs for all Australians.”
Previous Redgum Medical Group owner and Mulwala Medical Centre and Skin Clinic Owner Practioner Dr Ayon Guha said for our part of the region, which is home to many pensioners, he does not believe cost is what is keeping them away, however that is a different story with new families.
“I find the report a little bit surprising because in the Murray region, at least our area of the region, many of the patients are pensioners and most of the clinics now are not charging pensioners out of pocket as much as they used to,” Dr Ayon said.
“The Federal Government tripled the incentive so instead of having to pay for every consult like it was last year, now patients probably pay only once every three months.
“Pensioners are mostly bulk billed. I just don’t believe the statistics are correct, that is what I see on the ground. If they can’t get an appointment, that is a different story. It won’t be necessarily because they can’t afford it.
“In saying that the people without the pension or health care card, the younger ones, I have seen avoiding the GP for that matter.
“They unfortunately are avoiding anything that incurs an expense.
“My gut feeling is purely because of the cost-of-living pressure. Quite a lot of full time employed are struggling to make ends meet!
“I really wonder how people who do not have a regular job or have got causal work, how they are coping.
“I think in the younger population group I agree that they are avoiding anything that involves expenses as long as they can.
“Even if they get to a point that they need to see someone, they are tending to present to the emergency department rather that coming to see a GP.
“If you are in real financial difficulty but need to attend the doctor, tell us and we will do something about it rather than you delay treatment.
“We just want people to be healthy. We are still a business and need to pay our employees and bills etc but if somebody is needing to see a doctor but are struggling financially, we encourage you to talk to us.”
With businesses of all sizes and within all industries having to raise their prices to cover their costs due to continued inflation and the cost of living crisis, Dr Ayon said there may be a notable difference between attending a clinic in NSW compared to Victoria.
“I think it will be different next year having a clinic in Victoria and another in NSW as the Victorian Government is not willing to drop the payroll tax but NSW have dropped it from General Practice,” Dr Ayon added.
“I think you will see a situation mid next year where if you are coming to a NSW clinic, you will be paying less. Whereas if you go to one in Victoria, you will pay more.
“It depends on what the state government come up with, but so far it looks like the Victorian state government is hellbent on taxing general practise.
“I just don’t understand the logic. The federal government increased the rebate to help the GPs provide bulk billed consults and then the state government comes along and says ‘we will get money from you, thank you very much’.”
Dr Ayon said his biggest piece of advice was to see a GP if you have a health issue you need seeing to and talk to your doctor if you are struggling financially.
“You should get in touch with the GP, the more you delay your health issues, the worse they get,” Dr Ayon said.
“The cases that end up in the emergency department should not end up in emergency. It is much better to go and see your GP about things.
“Going to the emergency department is not going to solve the problem as more times than not, they will say to go and see your GP and you will probably be charged a much higher fee for attending there.
“If you don’t have money, talk to your GP. They will provide some sort of solution.”
Ms Varian concluded that this report shows that people in regional NSW are copping the brunt of a stretched health system and that financial pressures have put healthcare out of reach for too many people.
“Whether it’s visiting your doctor or your dentist, we need to make healthcare more accessible for people outside of metropolitan areas,” Ms Varian said.
The research revealed that the NSW and Commonwealth Governments should take the following steps:
•Improve affordability and reduce out-of-pocket costs, particularly for vulnerable populations
•Enhance healthcare access and availability in regional areas
•Provide targeted support to groups experiencing the most significant declines in healthcare experiences
•Address the growing pressure on health services, including wait times and time spent with patients
The report draws on the 2023 patient experience survey (PES) component of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS) and original data estimations produced by the University of Canberra for NCOSS.
NCOSS has developed an Online Mapping Tool which provides a geographic breakdown of the report data by SA2 level.
To use the Online Mapping Tool and to read the report, click https://www.ncoss.org.au/policy-advocacy.
