Independent Federal Member for Indi, Dr Helen Haines is demanding an urgent response from the government to close a $9.23 billion spending gap between metropolitan and regional, rural and remote Australia.
The Forgotten Health Spend Report, released by the National Rural Health Alliance, exposes the scale of the challenge facing regional healthcare, with the spending gap growing year on year since they started reporting in 2023.
Dr Haines, a former nurse, midwife and public health researcher, said the findings reflect what people across her regional Victorian electorate of Indi experience every day.
“You should not have to travel further, wait longer or struggle to afford fundamental primary healthcare, just because you live outside a major city,” Dr Haines said.
“Regional Australians die younger, face higher rates of chronic disease, and yet people can struggle to access the most fundamental healthcare.
“I regularly hear from people who can’t find a GP, must travel long distances for mental health appointments or struggle to access basic aged care services close to home.”
Dr Haines said the government cannot point to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and pretend the job is done.
“The Government repeatedly point to their investment in Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and claim 4 in 5 Australians live within 20 minutes of a UCC. In Indi, it’s fewer than one in three. Outside Wodonga, it plummets to zero.
Dr Haines said health spending was not only an issue of fairness, but a handbrake on regional productivity.
“Our regions feed the nation, generate enormous economic value and are central to Australia’s productivity, particularly through agriculture.
“Imagine what more our communities could achieve if people had fair access to the healthcare needed to stay healthy, work and contribute.”
The report also identified that infrastructure such as housing and childcare continue to be significant barriers attracting and retaining healthcare workers.
“There’s no single fix. We need a coordinated approach that improves access and affordability, but injecting more health spending is where it starts.
“The report’s recommendations, including a dedicated funding for rural health infrastructure, deserve serious consideration.
“Governments need to work together on the workforce, services and infrastructure regional communities need. Your postcode should not determine your health.”
ENDS
A full copy of the report is available here.