Out-of-pocket fees to see a GP highest on record, amid concern for patients

This cost, from the March quarter, was a 15 per cent rise compared to the same time last year, and a 55 per cent rise in a decade.

Dr Fiona Van Leeuwen said "for quite some time successive governments have been shifting fees to see doctors to the patients".

Dr Van Leeuwen, chair of the Hunter General Practitioners Association, said "market forces can't be allowed to determine what happens with people's health".

"People in positions of power need to be brave enough to make changes to help people have stable health care that they can afford."

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said "this year's increase to Medicare rebates is the second largest increase in the past 30 years".

"The largest increase was last year. We have increased Medicare rebates more in the past two years than the former government did in nine years," Mr Butler said.

The out-of-pocket costs reflect the average patient payment for the 28 per cent of GP visits in the district that were not bulk billed in the March quarter.

As such, the Hunter data - which includes New England and the Central Coast - showed a bulk-billing rate of 72 per cent for the quarter.

This was the second lowest among NSW's 10 primary health networks. It was below the NSW rate of 82 per cent and the national rate of 77 per cent.

Since November 1, the government has offered GPs extra incentives to bulk-bill patients aged under 16, pensioners and concession card holders.

The bulk-billing rate in Hunter New England and Central Coast in last year's March quarter, before the incentives were introduced, was 71.5 per cent.

Nonetheless, Mr Butler said the Albanese government was "committed to making it easier for people to see a bulk-billing doctor".

He said the latest Medicare data "shows that is exactly what is happening right around the country, particularly in rural and regional Australia".

"At the same time, general practice incomes have increased."

Medicare rebates for a standard GP consultation stand at $41.

With the bulk-billing incentives in urban areas like Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, GP clinics can receive $62 from the government for a bulk-billed consultation.

In other areas of the Hunter, the combined Medicare rebates and bulk-billing incentives amount to about $75 or $77, depending on the level of remoteness.

GPs in Newcastle are now charging $90 to $104 for standard consultations to cover their rising costs.

But GP fees in the Hunter's other areas are about $75 to $90.

The Newcastle Herald reported in March that GPs believe their pay and conditions must improve or the health system will continue to deteriorate and collapse.

The AMA has forecast an undersupply of about 10,600 GPs across the country by 2031-32.

The Hunter Region had 1086 GPs and registrars last year, but retirements are expected to shrink this number in the years ahead.

Most GPs receive no holiday pay, sick pay, superannuation or workers comp, as they work under contract.

And GP trainees face inferior conditions to hospital trainees for sick leave, carers leave, study leave, annual leave, long service leave and parental leave.

Dr Van Leeuwen said there "needs to be a wholesale change with the training pipeline for general practice".

"We need lots of young and brilliant doctors choosing general practice," she said.

"At the same time, there needs to be a way of retaining the highly experienced older GPs."

She said politicians need to make a 30-year plan for the health system, rather than think in three-year political cycles.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners was disappointed that the government didn't further increase Medicare rebates in last week's budget.

RACGP president Dr Nicole Higgins said last week that "the smartest and most cost-effective investment the government can make is increasing patients' Medicare rebates".

"This is what the government pays to subsidise the cost of healthcare for Australians. It will immediately improve access to affordable care," she said.

She said Australians were "already putting off essential care due to rising costs".

The RACGP also called for the government to boost the general practice workforce with incentives and subsidised training.

Dr Higgins said only one in 10 medical graduates were choosing general practice.