Quality Healthcare for our Region
For the last 25 years, the urology unit I established in the South West has cared for tens of thousands of people. I’ve watched as our community has grown dramatically and investment in healthcare has fallen behind. We face enormous challenges delivering the care our community deserves: bed block, ambulance ramping, long waitlists for aged care packages, unaffordable medications and a lack of access to mental health services.
We need accessible, affordable, quality healthcare in the South West. We should not have to settle for less because we live in regional and rural communities.
Here’s what our regional healthcare problems look like:
- Access to primary and preventative care is impossible because GP practices have closed their books to new patients
- Frontline healthcare professionals are stretched trying to fill workforce shortages caused by underfunding and understaffing
- Margaret River needs healthcare infrastructure to meet the demand of its growing visitor and resident populations, forcing locals to travel for essential care
- Hospitals are footing huge costs to pay locums and short-term staff because the South West can’t attract and retain doctors, nurses and allied health professionals
With a background in health, my focus as your Independent MP will be on:
Securing long-term funding
The South West deserves certainty about healthcare funding. As your Independent, I’ll fight for dedicated federal funding for new medical centres in our growth corridors and I’ll push to secure long term commitments to recruit and retain healthcare workers across the region.
Reforming Medicare to reduce out-of-pocket costs
Medicare rebates haven't kept pace with the cost of providing care, forcing many doctors to abandon bulk-billing. I will push for an increase to Medicare rebates and ongoing indexation that reflects the real cost of healthcare delivery. Increasing rebates for complex lengthy consultations to promote higher quality medicine that gives patients the time they need to discuss their health with their GP We also need loading for regional practitioners to encourage recruitment and retention of a long term medical workforce.
Building a sustainable healthcare workforce
We need long-term solutions to attract and retain healthcare workers in our region. We can achieve this by championing regional medical training programs, establishing a South West medical school hub and expanding placement opportunities for junior doctors. I’ll work to secure federal funding for supervision and accommodation for training positions.
Expanding regional mental health services
Accessing mental health care shouldn't include long waiting lists or lengthy travel. I’ll pursue the federal government for funding to establish additional mental health services across the South West, with a particular focus on youth services. This includes supporting telehealth initiatives and working to attract more mental health professionals to our region through targeted incentives and housing programs.
In a balanced Parliament, Independent MPs have unique power to deliver commitments for their communities - just like Helen Haines whose successful advocacy secured more than $1 million for mental health services in her rural electorate.
I've spent my career finding solutions to healthcare problems and producing results. To ensure our communities are set up to thrive, I’ll be fighting for regional healthcare that’s well-resourced and delivered close to home.