QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Mr BUTLER (Hindmarsh—Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Minister for Health and Ageing and Deputy Leader of the House) (14:56): I thank the member for Maribyrnong for her question. She is, as you know, Speaker, a qualified psychologist and adds her name to the long list of health professionals on this side of the House. We have nurses, we have doctors, we have psychologists, we have the first female pharmacist ever elected to the parliament—just to name a few—and every single one of them, every single member on this side of the House, campaigned hard at the last election on our promise to strengthen Medicare and to deliver more doctors, more bulk-billing, more urgent care clinics and even cheaper medicines.

And we're delivering all of those promises. Today's annual Health of the nation report, as I said to the member for Calare in response to his question, confirms that, for the first time in many years, not only has the headcount of GPs increased in this country but the more important measure of full-time-equivalent GPs has increased in the last 12 months for the first time in years.

And more are coming. Last year was a record year for the number of junior doctors training as GPs. This year broke that record, and I'm confident that next year will see a record again.

To the member's question, we're also delivering on our promise around bulk-billing. Since we tripled the bulk-billing incentive for concession card holders and children a little less than two years ago, there have been almost 1.9 million additional free visits to the GP in the member's state of Victoria alone. The bulk-billing rate for those 11 million Australians is now comfortably over 90 per cent again.

But we know that it's too low for those Australians who don't have a concession card. That's why, in around three weeks time, for the first time ever, we will extend bulk-billing support to every single Australian patient and we'll pay a bonus incentive to those general practices that agree to bulk-bill every single one of their patients. Last week, the member and I visited the Moonee Ponds Super Clinic, one of five clinics operated by the Yarra Medical Group.

Right now they're mixed billing practices; they charge a gap to all of their patients who don't have a concession card. But they told the member for Maribyrnong and me last week that from 1 November they will bulk-bill at all five clinics every single patient that comes through their door. They worked out it's not just better for their patients; it also works out better for their practice and for their individual doctors when they look at the record investment we're making.

We're delivering more doctors, more bulk-billing, more urgent care clinics and even cheaper medicines. That's what a government focused on delivery does.