Independent candidate for the seat of Canberra, Claire Miles, has released her federal election health policy. Photo: Supplied.
Independent candidate for the federal seat of Canberra, Claire Miles, says she will lobby hard to have her healthcare policy implemented if she becomes part of the crossbench in the next parliament.
If the federal election results in a minority government, independent and minor parties comprising the crossbench will hold significant influence over the government composition and parliamentary policies.
Ms Miles said general practitioners were the cornerstone of the healthcare system and, if elected, she would call for an urgent overhaul of how they were supported.
She said her policy would:
- train more GPs by reforming medical degree entry requirements and boosting support for students entering general practice;
- properly fund GP clinics so they could reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients;
- double the Medicare patient rebate to reflect the true value of GP services;
- treat GPs as the specialists they are, and ensure they have the tools to provide holistic, patient-centred care; and
- decrease wasteful health spending that didn’t directly improve patient outcomes.
In releasing her policy, the independent insists “meaningful reform” is needed.
“GPs are the backbone of our healthcare system and are under-resourced, overworked and fundamentally under-valued,” Ms Miles said.
“Without immediate action to strengthen general practice, any attempt at meaningful healthcare reform will ultimately fail Canberrans.”
She promised “bold and practical steps” to reinvest in primary care and address the escalating GP crisis.
These steps include: substantial funding increases for GP clinics enabling the recruitment and retention of staff; investment in equipment; and improved community access.
Ms Miles said she would seek to double the Medicare patient rebate for GP visits to bring down out-of-pocket costs and make bulk billing financially viable again for GPs.
She will also engage in reforming university pathways to expand GP training, including reworking medical degree requirements to make general practice an attractive career choice.
Her policy will push to recognise GPs as medical specialists, acknowledging their critical role in preventative care, chronic disease management and community health leadership.
Another policy focus is to strategically redirect resources by eliminating wasteful expenditure on programs with minimal patient impact and channelling those funds directly into frontline services.
“Too often, we see millions of taxpayer money wasted on bureaucratic programs or consulting reports, while patients struggle to get a GP appointment,” Ms Miles said.
“It’s time to stop funding systems and start funding actual patient care.”
She will also call for a review into the college system if elected.
Ms Miles described specialist training bottlenecks as the hidden healthcare emergency, highlighting it in her policy as “another critical but overlooked issue” impacting timely care and an “artificial restriction” on specialty training positions available to qualified doctors each year.
She said hundreds of medical graduates competed annually for a limited number of specialty training spots.
“Not because of a lack of community need, but because of restrictive quotas,” she said.
“Only 29 new ear nose and throat surgeon trainees were accepted nationwide in 2022 despite overwhelming public waitlists and growing demand.
“Fewer than 60 haematology trainees were offered across Australia, while cancer and blood disorder patients endure extensive waiting lists for a specialist consultation. And dermatology programs typically admit fewer than 30 trainees annually across the entire country, contributing to the virtual disappearance of bulk billing in this specialty.
“This artificial bottleneck has direct consequences for Canberra residents who face unacceptable waiting periods for specialist appointments.
“Without decisive intervention, these delays will worsen as Canberra’s population grows and chronic disease rates continue rising.”
The independent is advocating for an end to “healthcare politics” and calling for a government commitment to rebuilding general practice.
“This fundamental issue transcends political divisions and speaks to core values of integrity, accountability and commonsense,” Ms Miles said.
“The same principles I will bring to parliament as Canberra’s independent voice.”
Ms Miles is challenging Labor’s incumbent member for Canberra, Alicia Payne, in this year’s federal election.
