The share of Australians bulk-billed for all their GP care has risen to 63%, up from 56% a year earlier, according to a report by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. The increase follows government financial incentives for doctors and practices that bulk-bill all eligible Medicare services. The proportion remains below the 70% recorded in 2019. Dr Michael Wright said the results show patients benefit when governments invest in general practice. Health economist Luke Slawomirski urged caution, noting the survey covers about 7% of the GP workforce and that access and patient outcomes also matter.
Premier Ben Carroll has promised to expand a dozen emergency departments by 25 per cent as Victorian Labor launches its bid for a fourth term. The $1.5 billion health package also includes 1,500 more health workers, half of them nurses, and 150 extra hospital beds, most opening next year. Labor says the expansions will cut waits by up to 20 per cent at hospitals in Melbourne and regional Victoria. The Australian Medical Association welcomed the funding but called for a review of the whole emergency care system.
Victorian Labor has promised to fund free abortion care if re-elected on 28 November, at an estimated cost of $30 million over four years. The Coalition, led by Jess Wilson, matched the pledge hours later for abortions up to 16 weeks. More than two-thirds of Victorians who access abortion in the private system currently pay out of pocket, according to Health Minister Ingrid Stitt. Neither party has said when the policy would take effect.
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Ambulance ramping across Queensland's 26 major public hospital emergency departments sat at 42 per cent in August, according to latest Queensland Health data. That is 3.3 percentage points worse than July. The figure is only marginally better than the 43.9 per cent recorded in August 2024, before the Crisafulli Government took office. Premier David Crisafulli has tied his cabinet future to cutting ramping below 30 per cent before the 2028 election. Opposition leader Steven Miles said the figures would continue to worsen without growth funding, a workforce plan and new beds.
