‘The bulk-billing money won’t be enough’: GP tells why his clinic is closing its doors
Dr Simon Wilding is one of 20 GPs set to be made redundant when cohealth closes its general practice doors.
On Saturday, the Australian healthcare system will witness the beginning of one of the biggest political investments in bulk-billing in Medicare history.
The cash windfalls promised include loadings on the main items for those practices prepared to embrace bulk-billing for all.
There is some irony then that, as this new dawn breaks, GPs caring for 12,500 vulnerable patients where out-of-pocket fees are a genuine barrier are shutting the doors on their service because they can’t make ends meet.
Cohealth, in the heart of Melbourne, was originally formed out of an amalgamation of three community practices around 13 years ago.
