To mark the first day of Women's Health Week, the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) is calling for changes aimed at improving women's health and access to care.
While recent developments, like the Federal Government's $573 million women's health package, have been positive, RACGP Vice President Dr Ramya Raman said women still face many barriers to care.
"Women are more likely to delay or not access care than men, with nearly one in three putting off seeing their GP at some point during the past year, while more than one in 10 delayed or avoided health services in general due to cost," she said.
"This year's women's health week theme is 'Say yes to you', so I encourage all women, girls and gender-diverse people to break this cycle and put their health and wellbeing first.
"Saying "yes to you" isn't indulgent; it's preventive care, early detection, and long-term wellbeing. It's also the foundation of strong families and communities."
Dr Raman said further reforms, such as greater support for longer consultations, are desperately needed to support women to access the care they need.
"At the moment, Medicare rewards clinicians who provide shorter consultations, which disproportionately impacts both female patients and GPs," she said.
"Speedy, six-minute medicine isn't the answer for women. Longer consults are vital to reduce delays in diagnosis and care, and to prevent symptoms from being dismissed – a reality many girls and women experience.
"Women often have complex health needs that require time to resolve and manage, and our General Practice Health of the Nation report 2024 shows female GPs provide more of this care.
"A key explanation is the types of consults often conducted by female GPs, for example managing mental health issues and complex conditions such as endometriosis. The extra time female GPs spend with patients effectively creates a hidden pay gap for the GP and means patients with complex needs pay higher out of pocket fees."
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright shone a light on women's health issues that haven't received enough attention.
"For too long, women's pain hasn't been treated the same as men's pain," he said. "For example, it's estimated one in seven girls and women in Australia are living with endometriosis, yet it still takes six to eight years on average from the time symptoms first become apparent to get a diagnosis and then receive care. This needs to change."
Dr Wright said the College will continue working constructively with the Government and other women's health organisations to help address ongoing issues in Australia's healthcare system and reduce the gender care gap.
"We are addressing healthcare system shortfalls and biases that have disadvantaged girls and women for many years," he said.
"Improving women's healthcare and addressing inequities in care and treatment must be the highest of priorities. We will keep working with government to make that happen."
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