Newsroom

January 18, 2022

KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter, has welcomed the Federal Government’s change of heart on telehealth in the form of funding[1] to support GPs over the next six months (after the Government had previously cut support on January 1[2]), but the North Queensland MP says funding should be ongoing not temporary.

Mr Katter has also labelled the decision more of a ‘handstand’ than a backflip as only certain telehealth services have been reinstated.
Longer than 20 min GP phone consults via Telehealth have been reinstated, which is Australia wide, not area specific. The reinstatement is to enable specialist medical practitioners to provide telehealth consultations to hospital in-patients when their doctor cannot attend the
hospital due to COVID-19 restrictions.[3]

Rural loading for specialist phone consults has not been reinstated meaning bulk billed phone consults for specialists such as psychiatrists and oncologists will no longer be available for rural patients[4].

Mr Katter has said that a Liberal or Labor Federal Government should continue the ongoing support of telehealth beyond June 30 this year.
“The Minister has announced he’s going to keep virtual consultations going until June 30, he’s acting like we are moving forward, well I’d make the point it’s only a quick fix,” he said.

“Telehealth has been a wonderful leap forward for people living in rural and regional Australia, and it must continue.

“I always make the point about the three Katter boys (my father and two uncles). Two of them died due to the tyranny of distance. Telehealth along with the Royal Flying Doctors Service have been two qualitative leaps forward in rural health.

“To see us being pushed backwards on June 30 is terribly depressing. People will die due to distance and lack of services.” –

[1] https://www.sbs.com.au/news/federal-government-announces-temporary-widening-of-telehealth-amid-omicron-wave/cdf42a95-03f9-4353-8ac7-e9712458cd4b
2 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-30/bulk-bill-phone-appointment-changes-impact-on-regional-patients/100731322
3 https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/they-need-to-be-here-forever-gp-reaction-to-phone
4 MBS online - MBS Telehealth Services from January 2022