Australia's Nurses Oppose Introduction of Co-payment for People to Visit a GP

The overwhelming majority of Australia’s nurses, midwives, assistants in nursing (AINs) and other members of the community strongly oppose plans to introduce a $6 co-payment for people to visit a general practitioner (GP), according to a new poll.
The week-long, online survey, conducted by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), posed the question:  Do you support the introduction of a $6 co-payment for visiting your GP even if they already bulk bill? Seventy nine per cent responded no, 10 per cent responded yes and nine per cent responded maybe.
 ANMF Federal Secretary, Lee Thomas (pictured right), said the poll, which attracted more than 1900 respondents, was a warning from frontline nurses, midwives, AINs and members of the wider community about the impacts of the planned $6 co-payment on Australian health consumers.
“Our members are clearly concerned about any plans to force people to pay a $6 co-payment to visit the doctor, even when the doctor bulk-bills,” Ms Thomas said today.
“They are genuinely fearful this will force low-income earners, struggling families and others who can least afford it, to rush to already overstretched hospital emergency departments to get checked for routine or relatively minor ailments or worse still, not receive medical attention until it’s too late.  “As frontline healthcare professionals, our members understand the ramifications on the demand for services and patient waiting times and the effect on their already dangerously high workloads.”
Ms Thomas said respondents to the survey were alarmed that any GP co-payment may signal the end of Medicare and universal healthcare.
“The message to the Abbott Government is that nurses, midwives, AINs and the other members of the community want to keep healthcare free and universal for all Australians – they don’t want the Government meddling with Medicare,” Ms Thomas said.
“As the country’s largest health union, our members are warning the Government to not privatise Australia’s health system – patients must always come before profits.”
 Editor’s Note: At 1pm tomorrow (Saturday 15 February, 2014) ANMF members will take part in a special “Save Medicare” rally outside the Sydney Town Hall.