More Gippsland people received health care from their GP in 2022-2023 compared to most other regions of Australia although the number dropped slightly from the previous year.
A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) based on Medicare data from the 31 Primary Health Network areas in Australia found that Gippsland ranked third nationally in the category for Medicare-subsidised GP appointments.
A total of 89 per cent of people in Gippsland saw a GP in 2022-2023 compared to the national average of 86 per cent. This figure had dropped from 93 per cent in 2021-2022.
The drop in the proportion of people accessing a GP is in line with feedback Gippsland PHN has been gathering over the last two years from its Clinical Council, Community Advisory Committee and the community which points to the rise in cost of living as a significant barrier to seeking health care.
The Priority Issues Paper on General Practice Access, released in December 2022, showed other barriers include a lack of access to the usual GP/general practice, long waiting times, drop in bulk billing GPs, lack of affordable after-hours access to GPs and access to GPs who do home visits.
Recent feedback suggests accessing healthcare continues to be impacted by cost but also multiple other factors, including lack of transport, food insecurity, and homelessness.
