Mark Butler to unveil Labor's plan to address Hunter's GP shortages at Windale doorstop

Mark Butler will be at Windale on Tuesday to announce Labor's plan to act on the GP shortage "crisis".

He will be joined by local GPs, federal MPs Pat Conroy, Sharon Claydon and Meryl Swanson, and Hunter Labor candidate Dan Repacholi who say it has never been "harder or more expensive" for the region's residents to see a doctor.

Labor plans to reclassify the Hunter as a "Distribution Priority Area", affording it access to overseas-trained doctors and the "Bonded Medical Program" - which supports doctors to live, train and build careers in regional, rural and remote areas.

Mr Butler said the Liberal government's decision to classify parts of the Hunter as a metropolitan area in 2019 - which prevented general practices from accessing these incentives - came on top of cutting the bulk-billing incentive payment to local GPs and a six-year Medicare rebate freeze.

"Access to GP services shouldn't be reserved for those that live in our biggest cities," Mr Butler said.

"The Morrison-Joyce Government has repeatedly cut and undermined Medicare, and in 2019 Scott Morrison cut access of outer-metro and regional Australia to bonded and overseas trained doctors, making GP shortages much worse."

Shortland MP Pat Conroy agreed the GP shortage in the region was "getting worse, not better".

"It is something that has been regularly raised with me by both GPs and patients," he said.

"Patients are finding it harder and more expensive to see their GP.

"GPs tell me that they are under enormous stress and pressure, and they feel guilty that their patients can be waiting weeks or months to see them."

In a submission to a Senate Inquiry into GP shortages, the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network cited "workforce shortage, geographical distribution and sustainability" as the key challenges of the area's access to healthcare.

The GP shortage comes as the region's GP Access After Hours service adjusts to a reduction in hours and the loss of its Calvary Mater clinic.

Labor has previously pledged to reverse more than $500,000 of cuts to the service, which sees 50,000 patients a year and provides 70,000 telephone consultations to alleviate pressure on overstretched hospitals.

Dr Annette Carruthers, a local doctor and one of the founders of GP Access After Hours, said the impact of the closure of the service's Calvary Mater clinic - and reduced hours at others - was being felt at emergency departments across the Hunter. She said all of the clinics had been "really busy", but patients were now having to drive "ridiculous distances" for care because they could not get an appointment at their closest service.

There needed to be incentives to encourage more doctors to rural and regional areas where there were workforce shortages.

"But the Liberal government should fix GP Access tomorrow. We don't need an election promise. We want it now," she said.

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