Twenty peak patient bodies will join the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) in Parliament House today to tell Australia's leaders that patients need more affordable care and more time with their family doctors.
Properly funding longer consultations is vital for patients with chronic disease, mental health concerns, and complex health needs. It also improves diagnosis times, makes care more affordable, and reduces pressure on hospitals.
Palliative Care Australia, Parkinsons Australia, Sexual and Reproductive Health Australia, Dementia Australia, MS Australia, the Stroke Foundation, Kidney Health Australia, Diabetes Australia, MND Australia, Rare Voices, the Australian Patient Advocacy Alliance, ANZ Forum for Autoinflammatory Diseases, ausEE Inc, Australian Sickle Cell Advocacy, Emerge Australia, Hidradenitis Suppurativa Australia, Metastatic Breast Cancer Action Australia, Parenteral Nutrition Down Under, Scleroderma Australia, and Sjogrens Australia, along with Dr Sophie Scamps MP, will all join the RACGP in sending an open letter to Parliament to highlight that this funding cannot wait.
"The RACGP has long called for a 40% increase to Medicare rebates for Level C and Level D consultations, and with average GP appointment times getting to 20 minutes in 2025 this funding is well overdue," RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said.
"Investing in long consultations would cut out-of-pocket costs for patients at a time when many of our communities are struggling with the cost of living.
"The health needs of our communities are becoming more complex, with many people experiencing one or more long-term health conditions, so the care GPs provide requires more time, space, and empathy.
"When people can't afford longer GP appointments, complications and other health issues develop. People get sicker and need expensive hospital care.
"Patient Medicare rebates drop on a per-minute basis the longer a patient spends with their GP, making it harder for patients who need more time with their GP to access affordable, high-quality care. This is not acceptable.
"We are proud to stand with some of Australia's leading health organisations to emphasise the importance of long consultations for patients across the country."
Sarah Willits, a 47-year-old mother of two from Victoria has had dialysis for six years and received a transplant at 35 years of age. She said: "Living with kidney failure, by the time I get through all my physical issues with my GP, time is up! I would love longer appointments to have the chance for a wellbeing check to get the help I need with related issues."
Dr Wright said: "No patient should have to choose between the comprehensive healthcare they need and being able to afford other daily necessities.
"Everyone in Australia deserves the time to develop a relationship with a GP who knows them and their history and can deliver quality care without the pressure of a ticking clock."
Statement attributable to Chris Forbes, Chief Executive Officer, Kidney Health Australia
"Kidney Health Australia supports GPs to take the time needed to identify those at risk of kidney disease, enable early diagnosis, and ensure the latest evidence-based medications and support programs are appropriately utilised – drastically improving outcomes and slowing disease progression."
Statement attributable to Olivia Nassaris, Chief Executive Officer, Parkinsons Australia
"People living with Parkinsons have a plethora of motor and non-motor symptoms. It is a complex condition that affects every part of their life, including movement and cognition. Long consultations are necessary with an incurable degenerative condition like Parkinsons because things change. A community that has cognitive issues requires more time and more care taken to listen to what they are saying in consults."
Statement attributable to Daile Kelleher CF, Chief Executive Officer, Sexual and Reproductive Health Australia
"Longer GP consultations are essential in sexual and reproductive healthcare. They enable meaningful conversations, support informed decision-making, and ensure patients feel comfortable raising sensitive issues. Adequate time leads to earlier intervention and better health outcomes."
Statement attributable to Rohan Greenland, Chief Executive Office, MS Australia
"Many of the early signs of MS are invisible or subtle, and timely diagnosis depends on GPs having enough time to recognise symptoms, listen carefully, and refer early. After diagnosis, longer consultations are just as critical for managing comorbidities and the complex, lifelong needs of people living with MS."
Statement attributable to Clare Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer, MND Australia:
"The diagnosis of motor neurone disease (MND) is often clinically difficult. Access to longer consultations to provide rapid and accurate diagnosis is crucial in ensuring the needs of people living with MND are met from the earliest stage possible."
Statement attributable to Professor Tanya Buchanan, Chief Executive Officer, Dementia Australia:
"Dementia is a complex condition, and many people living with dementia – or those at increased risk of developing it—also experience other chronic illnesses. General practitioners play a critical role in identifying risk, supporting early intervention, coordinating care and managing multiple conditions over time. It is vital that the estimated 446,500 Australians living with dementia have access to affordable long GP consultations to ensure they receive timely, comprehensive and coordinated health care tailored to their needs."
Statement attributable to Camilla Rowland, Chief Executive Officer, Palliative Care Australia
"People approaching the end of life often have complex needs that cannot be addressed in a standard short appointment. Long consultations are essential to provide thoughtful, coordinated care and to ensure no one feels rushed at such a critical time. Unfortunately, GPs are telling us this level of care is not properly supported under current Medicare funding."
Statement attributable to Dr Lisa Murphy, Chief Executive Officer, the Stroke Foundation
"With 80 percent of strokes being preventable, strengthening the affordability of longer GP consultation MBS items will help more Australians better detect and manage their chronic disease and modifiable risk factors before stroke happens."
Statement attributable to Deidre Mackechnie, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Patient Advocacy Alliance
"More than 13 million Australians live with chronic or complex disease and so, when poorly managed, we see a significant impact on the healthcare system: more frequent GP visits, more presentations to Emergency Departments, more admissions to hospital. This has contributed to creating the overloaded system we see now. We also see the impact on the lives of people living with a chronic condition: reduced ability to care for family or to work, often not being able to work at all, or to participate in social activities. And inadequate management of a chronic condition can result in disease progression to the point of disability, including the need to access the NDIS. Longer consultations with the GP will contribute to better management and consequently better outcomes so that people living with a chronic condition are living their best life and we enjoy a healthcare system that works for all."
Statement attributable to Justine Cain, Group CEO, Diabetes Australia
"You can't always manage a complex chronic condition in a 10-minute conversation. 2 million Australians are living with diabetes, which puts them at high risk of serious complications including heart attack, stroke, vision loss and limb amputation. Ongoing diabetes management requires the support of a multidisciplinary team and a longer consultation could provide critical time to consider a referral to a CDE or Endocrinologists where appropriate."
Statement attributable to Dr Sophie Scamps MP, Member for Mackellar
"If we are serious about providing high quality healthcare for patients with complex and chronic diseases, and if we are serious about providing genuine preventative care, then GPs must be supported to deliver these services. Quite simply this means increasing the Medicare rebate for long consultations. Currently Medicare promotes a false economy by rebating shorter consultations more per minute than longer ones."
