Live: Waitlists, distance, or no bulk billing: Have your say on healthcare barriers

The ABS data also shows people in poorer areas are much more likely to skip or delay care because of cost, particularly for dental care, which isn't part of Medicare.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 1:02pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 1:02pm

Why are less hospitals in rural Australia offering birthing services?

Why are there less hospitals offering birthing services across rural Australia than in the past? My experience in Stawell indicates it's not about declining population, so why is it and what could be changed to encourage rural hospitals to again take on this vital health service?

- Felicity

Felicity, who shared her story in our last post, has put her question to our health reporter Steph.

Hi Felicity, this is a really interesting question and highlights a crucial area where rural women are facing significant health gaps.

According to the National Rural Health Alliance there has been a whopping 50 per cent reduction in service delivery for maternity services in rural Australia since the 1990s. 

There are a few reasons behind this, such as a lack of investment in infrastructure and workforce shortages. This can then create a bit of a cycle, the more services are reduced, the less attractive those hospitals are for clinicians to work in, and so on.

In terms of solutions, last year a national framework was drawn up by a range of peak bodies, saying that the closure and downgrades of rural and remote maternity services was putting women and babies at unprecedented risk.

It recommends building the workforce, ensuring rural and remote maternity services are equipped with the technology needed for safe care, and ensuring funding is fit for purpose.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:52pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:52pm

How women in regional Victoria are travelling hours for basic maternity care

Felicity Dunn was born 48 years ago in the Stawell District Hospital, delivered by one of the local GPs in the small regional Victorian town.

Stawell's population has grown to more than 6,000 today and yet now women in the town are having to travel hours to give birth, Felicity says.

In her work as a consultant in early childhood policy, Felicity ran a survey that found women from the Northern Grampians Shire Council are travelling 122 kilometres on average to give birth.

She's questioning why Stawell and other regional towns are "going backwards" on maternity care.

"It's not just the birth, it's also all those appointments and having to travel an hour-and-a-half on a weekly or fortnightly basis," she said.

In her work with rural communities, Felicity has found it's not just maternity care that's lacking, but early childhood health care.

"Satisfaction with access to health care stands out like a sore thumb, in terms of its very low satisfaction," she said.

"We know so much about the importance of the first five years and particularly three years of life.

"It's an incredibly important window for infant development, and if we get it right, it really has lifelong consequences."

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:48pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:48pm

Fixing regional healthcare not quick or cheap

Seeing a specialist in a regional area is next to impossible. The waiting times are months or even years and the consults are then so short (due to the specialist's limited time and often overbooking) problems aren't even addressed. What is or could be done to address this issue.

- Michael

On Michael's question Lauren Roberts has also chimed in, saying "next to impossible is right for many Australians".

For a bit of context, I live in Darwin and we have a lot of fly-in, fly-out specialists here and there's often long waits. I know wait times can be even longer in regional and remote areas right across Australia.

As for what COULD be done to fix the problem, there's a long list and unfortunately none of it is quick-fix or cheap.

Providing better incentives (bigger travel allowances or perks) may incentivise more specialists to travel regionally or on a more regular basis.

Another potential solution is to help train up local staff to co-manage some lower-risk patients, so they can help co-ordinate patient care over video link. This would ideally help ease some of the patient load and mean longer appointments for the remaining patients.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:40pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:40pm

What can be done to get more specialists in rural areas?

Seeing a specialist in a regional area is next to impossible. The waiting times are months or even years and the consults are then so short (due to the specialist's limited time and often overbooking) problems aren't even addressed. What is or could be done to address this issue.

- Michael

Our guest expert Peter has answered your question below, Michael.

You're spot on, and the data backs you up.

People in rural areas get much less specialist care, and the places with the least care of all are almost all in rural areas. Half of remote and very remote areas receive less than one specialist service per person a year. There's nowhere in a major city with that little care.

There are a couple of good ways to fix this.

One is to train more specialists in rural areas, which makes them more likely to stay there when they finish their training. Governments should set targets for rural training, and tie funding for training places to meeting those targets.

Another solution is building up public clinics in the areas with the least care. Today, the areas with the least private care don't get more public care. That's one big reason for the long waits in many rural areas. Governments should set a minimum level of care that every community can expect. Then areas with the least care should be the first to get more public appointments.

New public clinics in rural areas might have to run a bit differently, for example using more telehealth. But the key is committing to a minimum level of care, investing in more public appointments, and making sure they go to the communities that need them most.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:34pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:34pm

Your experience living regionally

From Richard:

What annoys me, living in rural Australia, is the lack of Bulk Billing doctors/medical centres. I work part-time casual and have T2 diabetes. I cannot see my doctor unless I've got the $185 upfront payment, as I don't have private insurance. Yes I get partially reimbursed by Medicare, but that takes days to come through. It's a bad state of affairs where you need to toss up eating or seeing a doctor.

From H:

2 weeks ago I called to book a GP appointment in Broome. I got told the first available appointment was in December.

From Graham Pattemore:

In our rural area, of Monto, we do not have continuity of GP's. When there was a private practice, many years ago, we had the same two GP's. When the state government built the Family Practice on government land, besides our hospital, we lost that continuity. The government spends an enormous amount, per day, on multiple locums. It needs to be privatised so the doctor/s live in town. And know the town and its people. It's false economy paying locums, in excess of $2500pd each, then paying a GP private team, to service the local hospital and then they then can manage town and rural patients, in a private practice. Plus the aged patients in Ridgehaven by bulk billing etc.

From Lynne Bull:

Little media attention is paid to the plight of country people when it comes to health care at every level. Services are very limited and people have to travel great distances to see doctors, specialists and other health services. I recently had to drive over 700 klm to see a heart specialists in Adelaide. I could have seen the same specialists near a major country hospital but they didn't perform an echo cardio gram and stress test there as was required for me so I had no choice but travel to Adelaide. A echocardiogram is not available at Port Lincoln. If you think your out of pocket expenses are bad in the city, try moving to the country and find out how poor our services are.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:29pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:29pm

Accessing health care in regional NSW more than just a 'logistical nightmare'

One telehealth appointment for Helen Jamieson sums up her battle with regional health care.

Living in Cootamundra, in NSW's Riverina, the appointment was the most convenient way to access doctors in a region where the nearest specialist can be an hour away.

But it bore a $150 price tag, with only half of that rebated.

For Helen, who lives on the disability support pension, it means she will have to seek out yard maintenance work to cover the remaining costs.

All while recovering from a recent brain surgery.

"That's my whole food bill, so it'll be baked beans and oatmeal for the next week," she says.

Since moving from Canberra to Cootamundra about four years ago, Helen says accessing health care has been a "logistical nightmare".

She also faces ankle surgery, an issue she first came to doctors with in September last year.

It will be January 2027 before she can see a specialist, she says.

A surgery that could get her back to work and off the disability support pension.

"If I can get the surgery, I can go back to work, the government's paying a little less, and I'm back to being a human being."

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:24pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:24pm

Why isn't there more public specialist clinics and operations?

Why isn't there more public specialist clinics and operations? I feel like private specialists should run their business however they want but the public wait time just needs to be way faster than it is now

- Alex

Thanks for your question, Alex. Peter from the Grattan Institute has answered it below.

Expanding public clinics is crucial part of improving access to specialist care, especially for those who can't afford rising fees in private clinics.  In many parts of Australia, wait times can be well over a year, even for urgent issues.

You asked why this isn't happening. To be fair, some states have made recent investments. But in general, the whole specialist system has been running on autopilot.

Governments haven't set a minimum level of specialist care that every community should be able to get. Investment hasn't been targeted at the places that are missing out.

Accountability is weak, with many states not reporting wait times at all. One reason for all this is that emergency departments and admitted hospital care tend to grab the headlines, and to be a higher priority for governments.

We've argued that it's time to change that. We've called for governments to invest in about a million extra public appointments each year, focused on the areas that get the least care. That money should come with changes to help clinics run better, since there is evidence that they can be more efficient.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:17pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:17pm

Why are psychiatrists so difficult to access?

Why are Psychiatrists in particular so difficult to access? Especially concerning ADHD / depression management. Like when are GPs going to have the ability to prescribe medications for either?

- Alaska

Hi Alaska, thanks so much for the question. Getting access to good mental health support can be a real challenge.

First up, I want to acknowledge that access can vary enormously depending on where you live.

Most psychiatrists in Australia work in our major cities, which leaves a significant shortage in regional and remote areas.

But there's also an issue with supply and demand.

The demand for mental health services in Australia has been growing over the past decade, but the number of practising psychiatrists hasn't been growing at the same rate.

In 2015, there were 14 psychiatrists for every 100,000 people in Australia.

In 2024, that number increased to 16 psychiatrists for every 100,000 people in Australia.

This means there's not enough specialist support to go around, which can lead to long wait times.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:12pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:12pm

'Heavily privatised' dental industry needs a shake-up, oral health expert says

On the topic of dental health, Matt Hopcraft is one of dozens of Australians who reached out to the ABC as part of our Your Say campaign, where he shared his concerns about access to oral health services.

Matt has more than 30 years' experience as a dentist and is currently the Associate Professor of Professional Practice at the Melbourne Dental School.

He says there's a need to "reform dental funding and tackle this significant health issue".

"The health focus of the current and previous governments continues to ignore the critical issue of oral health, despite the well-recognised links between poor oral health and general health," Matt said.

"The statistics are damning; one in three children experience tooth decay by the age of five to six years.

"Poor oral health is the leading cause of preventable hospitalisation amongst Australian children, costing the healthcare system over $100 million."

Matt said the "heavily privatised" industry was a significant cost barrier for many people.

"In 2023-24, 71 per cent of all recurrent health expenditure was funded by governments, with only 17 per cent from individuals out-of-pocket.

"In contrast, individuals directly funded 60 per cent of dental expenditure and indirectly funded a further 20 per cent via health insurance. Governments funded only 19 per cent."

Do you have a story about an expensive dental bill or treatment you had to turn down? Let us know in the comments above.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:06pmTue 8 Sep 2026 at 12:06pm

Why isn't dental in Medicare?

I never understood why dental wasn't included in Medicare whilst other forms of healthcare are. Is there a particularly reason why this is the case?

- Lucas

Thanks for the question, Lucas!

The former Whitlam government originally did want to include dental in Medibank in the 1970s (Medibank was the OG Medicare, if you will), but because negotiations with doctors consumed so much time, Gough Whitlam didn't want to bite off more than he could chew (sorry, an obvious pun to use) with dentists too.

There are, of course, public dental clinics now run by the states, but typically only children and concession card holders are eligible for free basics, and there are huge waiting lists.

Money is now the biggest hurdle standing in front of a universal dental scheme, particularly when you consider the state of the federal budget bottom line.

Overall, more than $13 billion was spent on dental services in 2023-24 according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, with most of it coming from non-government sources (like people paying out-of-pocket and health insurance funds). So given health is already a huge pressure point for the budget, the government is very reluctant to spend billions more on dental. 

Federal Labor says it has a "long-term" goal of expanding Medicare to dental health services, but it hasn't specified a timeframe.

But it's worth noting experts have long argued not properly funding dental care also comes at a cost. Poor oral health is associated with several chronic diseases, and the absence of a universal scheme has meant there is a growing oral health divide in Australia between the rich and poor.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:57amTue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:57am

How life expectancy changes across postcodes in Queensland

Across rural Queensland, where adequate health services are lacking, data shows your postcode is directly linked to life expectancy.

The most recent figures from Queensland Health show a sliding scale of mortality rates, with 75.2 years the median age of death in very remote areas, compared to 81.7 years in major cities.

People in the most disadvantaged areas, the green part of the graph, are also likely to die three years earlier than those in higher socio-economic areas.

The leading cause of death is coronary heart disease, which is largely preventable, followed by dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

You can read more on this story by the ABC's Jessica Ross and Grace Nakamura.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:51amTue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:51am

Some early thoughts from you

Already, quite a few of you have shared your challenges accessing health care.

Here are a few early stories:

From Kay in WA:

Live in kalbarri Wa our only drs surgery closed earlier this year leaving us with no dr and a four hour round trip into geraldton to see a dr!

From Natasha:

I was referred to public neurology in Jan 2024 after a spontaneous seizure. After my second and subsequent, I used my private health to access admission, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management. I still haven't had my public referral actioned, almost 3 years later.

From DrJerry in NSW: 

Today I'm waiting for a telehealth consult with my 'regular' GP in Rutherford, regional NSW. Face to face was not an option for the next few weeks which is not ideal. Getting an appointment within a week is virtually impossible, again not ideal when you are sick. The surgery has signs up saying "one patient, one problem" and appointments are booked for every 15mins. My appointment today was for 47 mins ago and still I wait.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:45amTue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:45am

Meet health reporter Lauren Roberts

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:41amTue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:41am

Our in-house experts answering your questions today

We have not one but two of our own health reporters joining the blog today to answer your questions.

First up is Stephanie Dalzell, the ABC's national health reporter, based at Parliament House in Canberra.

Before taking on the national health reporter role, Steph worked in the press gallery for almost a decade specialising in health policy.

Recently she's covered issues like the thousands of aged care patients stranded in public hospitals across the country and PBS pricing stoushes.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:36amTue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:36am

Introducing our guest expert Peter Breadon

Alongside our own health reporters, Stephanie Dalzell and Lauren Roberts, we have the Grattan Institute's health program director, Peter Breadon, on board to answer your questions.

Based in Melbourne, Peter was previously a health fellow at the institute, where he co-authored reports on hospital efficiency, pharmaceutical pricing and the health workforce.

He has also worked in a variety of senior policy and operational roles in government. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the London School of Economics and a Master of Public Administration from the Hertie School of Governance.

Peter has a wealth of knowledge on all things health policy and is with us for the next couple of hours to answer your questions — which you can submit in the field above.

Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:30amTue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:30am

Let's talk all things access to health care

Have you been waiting for months on end for a specialist appointment? Maybe you can't even get in to see a regular GP?

We've also heard many of you are concerned about incoming changes to the NDIS, the decline of private maternity services across the country and the high cost of dental, just to name a few issues.

We're opening up a live Q&A today with Peter Breadon from the Grattan Institute, as well as ABC health reporters Stephanie Dalzell and Lauren Roberts.

For the next couple of hours, you can submit your questions in the field above.

We also want to hear your stories, experiences and challenges on all things related to access to health care. 

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