Skip to content
Government NSW

HUGE SPIKE IN PEOPLE WHO CAN’T AFFORD TO VISIT A GP IN MURRAY REGION

NCOSS 2 mins read

Wednesday, 23 October 2024

HUGE SPIKE IN PEOPLE WHO CAN’T AFFORD TO VISIT A GP IN

MURRAY REGION

The percentage of people who can’t afford to visit a GP in the Murray region has increased by 60% over the past four years, according to damning new research.

The report titled Access Denied: Australians Locked Out of Quality Healthcare, was commissioned by peak social services body NCOSS and conducted by the University of Canberra.

NCOSS chief executive Cara Varian said the report found that patient experiences with vital health services including GPs, specialists and dentists in NSW had gone backwards since its 2020 report and that regional areas were more heavily impacted than metropolitan areas.

“This report illustrates that the health system is broken,” Ms Varian said.

“When people can’t afford the most fundamental medical care it leads to bad health outcomes and puts pressure on hospitals,” she said.

“These statistics are particularly alarming in regional areas and are a wake-up call for the NSW and Commonwealth Governments to improve affordability and out-of-pocket costs for all Australians.”

The key statistics for the Murray region include:

  • 3 in 10 people delay/avoid seeing their dentist due to cost
  • Almost one in five wait 1+ month for public dental care, increasing more than 200% since 2020. This is the second highest increase across all NSW regions
  • The number of people delaying/avoiding visits to the specialist due to cost more than tripled since 2020.
  • Significantly lower ownership of private health insurance compared to NSW overall (40% v 58%)

“This report shows that people in regional NSW are copping the brunt of a stretched health system and that financial pressures have put healthcare out of reach for too many people,” Ms Varian said.

“Whether it’s visiting your doctor or your dentist, we need to make healthcare more accessible for people outside of metropolitan areas.” 

NCOSS’s research reveals that NSW and Commonwealth Governments should take the following steps:

  • Improve affordability and reduce out-of-pocket costs, particularly for vulnerable populations
  • Enhance healthcare access and availability in regional areas
  • Provide targeted support to groups experiencing the most significant declines in healthcare experiences
  • Address the growing pressure on health services, including wait times and time spent with patients

The report draws on the 2023 patient experience survey (PES) component of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS) and original data estimations produced by the University of Canberra for NCOSS.

NCOSS has developed an Online Mapping Tool which provides a geographic breakdown of the report data by SA2 level. To use the Online Mapping Tool and to read the report, click here.

Media contact: Tom Wald | 0411 305 449

Media

More from this category

  • Community, Government NSW
  • 07/11/2024
  • 13:39
Rising Tide

MEDIA RELEASE: Rising Tide Aim to Proceed With Australia’s Largest Climate Protest Despite Shock Supreme Court Ruling

For immediate release: Thursday 7 November 2024 The NSW Supreme Court has found in favour of the NSW Police Force in rejecting the Form 1 for Rising Tide People’s Blockade of the World’s Largest Coal Port, Newcastle / Muloobinba. Zack Schofield, Rising Tide organiser and law student said: “Our plan is that the protestival will go ahead within our rights to peaceful assembly on land and water, which is legal in NSW with or without a Form 1. We’re carefully reading His Honour’s judgement to inform our next steps. “The main public safety issue here is the climate pollution caused…

  • General News, Government NSW
  • 05/11/2024
  • 06:00
NSW Office of Sport

Play your part in keeping children safe in sport

Following the success of recent workshops in the Central West, the NSW Government will host an interactive child safety workshop in Tamworth next week to help local sporting organisations keep children safe from harm and abuse in sport. The NSW Office of Sport has partnered with the Office of the Children’s Guardian to deliver the workshops which will provide practical information on the simple steps sports clubs can take to protect children. The workshop will be held in Tamworth on Monday, 11 November and will be delivered by Matt Sibley, Child Safe Officer (Sport) from the Office of the Children’s…

  • Contains:
  • Government NSW, Medical Health Aged Care
  • 04/11/2024
  • 14:58
Uniting NSW.ACT

*** MEDIA ALERT *** Uniting NSW.ACT available for comment after Drug Summit in Lismore today

*** MEDIA ALERT *** Uniting NSW.ACT’s General Manager of Advocacy & External Relations Emma Maiden is available for comment following the NSW Drug Summit in Lismore today: Speaking after this morning’s session, she said: “Many of the issues outlined by those who attended day one of the drug summit in Griffith are being echoed by the people from Lismore and the NSW Northern Rivers region speaking on day two. “They have reflected on the ongoing trauma being felt right across their community and on how many have either started or returned to using drugs as a way to deal with…

Media Outreach made fast, easy, simple.

Feature your press release on Medianet's News Hub every time you distribute with Medianet. Pay per release or save with a subscription.