Wait times up, costs up, govt funding for general practice… down: Productivity Commission

The findings only add to the expectations for the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report.
Sarah Simpkins

Federal Government spending on general practice per patient has gone backwards in the past 12 months, even as wait times get worse, the Productivity Commission says.

Its annual report on government services shows that 49.7% of patients who wanted to see their GP urgently managed to do so within four hours, compared with 55.8% just last year.

It also shows that total Federal Government expenditure on general practice per patient was $443.80 over the 2021/22 financial year.

After a steady rise in previous years, spending slipped by almost 1% from $445.40 in 2020/21.