Ms CLAYDON (Newcastle-Deputy Speaker) (16:43): After a long decade of cuts and neglect, the Australian people voted for an Albanese Labor government that is committed to investing in universal health care. Indeed, one of the first acts of this government was to restore the much loved GP Access After Hours service in Newcastle and the Hunter, reinstating the full operational hours of all clinics and reopening the service of the Calvary Mater hospital, which closed under the Morrison government's watch. Labor's investments have made it easier for Novocastrians to see a GP or a nurse after hours and is reducing pressure on local emergency departments.
Last November, we tripled the bulk-billing incentive for GPs, making trips to the doctor cheaper for those who need it most, and we've opened 58 Medicare urgent care clinics across the country, offering walk-in care seven days a week over extended hours completely bulk billed. Now we're building on the success of the urgent care clinics with 29 additional clinics announced in the May budget. While no new sites for New South Wales have been announced yet, we know how dire the bulk-billing rates in Newcastle are. So I'll be advocating strongly for an urgent care clinic in our community.
The former Liberal government's cuts and the six-year freeze to Medicare rebates has created a crisis in general practice. Labor's urgent care clinics are thankfully helping thousands more Australians to get free urgent care when they need it. All you need is your Medicare card. I'll be working every day to help Novocastrians access more bulk-billing healthcare services.
