Nurses and midwives switching from permanent roles to agency work for better pay, flexibility

This article from NewsGP refers to a new ABS analysis of patient experiences, which reveals that the number of people who are delaying or avoiding seeing a GP due to cost, has doubled since last year. The article discusses price perceptions, cost-of-living pressures, practice viability in disadvantaged areas, fragmented care and the widening gap between health outcomes and access to services.

The Final Report from the Kruk Review, led by Ms Robyn Kruk AO, makes 28 recommendations designed to ease skills shortages in critical health professions and reform Australia's regulatory settings for overseas trained health practitioners and international students who have studied in Australia. The review recommends simplifying and streamlining application processes, including qualification recognition and comparability assessments, among other reforms.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is asking members to participate in their survey – to provide important input on the future of Australia's health system. The survey will be open until 31 January 2024, and the results will help the AMA determine what to advocate for in the coming years.

The Dept of Health and Aged Care releases quarterly Medicare statistics in an accessible infographic format - the Jul-Sep YTD 2023 period saw slight decreases in Medicare and Bulk Billed Services compared to last year, with the National Bulk Billing Rate decreased from 78.1% to 74.5%. Despite this, total benefits paid increased, while the Average (out-of-hospital) Patient Contribution was less than last year at $72.64, compared to $72.87 in 2022.