Tasmanian Labor has doubled its promise to deliver bulk-billing GP clinics, increasing its commitment from five to 10 locations across the state, following overwhelming community demand for more accessible healthcare.
The expanded ‘TassieDoc’ policy was announced at the Corumbene Health Hub in New Norfolk, a fully equipped medical facility that has sat empty for three and a half years despite repeated efforts to attract GP services.
Labor candidate Ella Haddad said the party had been “blown away” by the response since the original announcement.
“We’re hearing it through our offices, through members of the public coming and speaking to us and through GP lobby groups, that this is a needed policy and it’s a needed method of delivering GP access into their state,” she said.
The clinics will offer free, bulk-billed GP services through partnerships with existing medical centres and healthcare providers.
Under the model, doctors will work as contractors and keep 100% of their Medicare billing fees, compared to the 60–70% they usually receive in traditional private clinics.
Each clinic is expected to cost $1 million to set up, with about $800,000 in ongoing annual costs. Labor says the total funding for all 10 sites will be detailed before election day.
Dr Mark Baldock, managing director of GP Collective, said he wasn’t worried the new public clinics would hurt existing practices.
“I can work 14 hours a day, seven days a week and still not see all the patients that want to see me. I’m booked six weeks ahead. Every GP is working absolutely flat out,” he said.
“We cannot deal with the numbers. The competition is getting general practitioners to come to Tasmania and stay in Tasmania. We need to recruit them from the mainland.”
Corumbene CEO Alison Stanton said the local community had spent years trying to get a GP provider to fill the empty hub.
“We know from our community services that a number of people out in the community have to travel to the northern suburbs of Hobart and beyond in order to access GP services,” she said.
“There is so much demand for GP services here. Access to services, particularly for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, is so important.”
Six sites have been confirmed so far, using a mix of state-owned buildings and rental arrangements. Locations include Risdon Vale, Burnie, Ravenswood, Devonport, Glenorchy and New Norfolk.
Labor says the final four clinic locations will be chosen based on community need, if the party wins Saturday’s state election.
