$20 budget incentive too late for Logan doctors as three surgeries close

Doctors from a busy Logan area say they are being pushed to the brink after the closure of three GP clinics in months. They say this week’s state and federal government Budget cash sweeteners have come too late.

Eagleby doctor Thomas Lyons said the doctor shortage was a crisis point south of Brisbane where three surgeries have closed in three months. Picture: Supplied

Doctors from a southside postcode say they are being pushed to the brink after the closure of three GP clinics in three months, with fears this week’s state and federal government Budget sweeteners have come too late as the state’s doctor shortage worsens.

Three surgeries in the postcode 4207 have closed since the beginning of the year, with two merging to cut costs, one moving out of Beenleigh CBD to cheaper premises and another closing due to the doctor retiring. A fourth, in Yarrabilba, also shut.

Eagleby general practitioner Thomas Lyons said over the past month, since the closures, he had treated more than 60 patients a day, at least twice a week, but still faced financial stress.

Dr Thomas Lyons said incentive packages released this week will do little to ease the long-term pain in his waiting room. Picture: News Corp

He said this week’s federal Budget incentive package to entice more doctors to bulk bill pensioners and children was a temporary fix with no real long-term financial benefits for doctors, at least until September.

“It is fine for some practices who can wait until September when the bonus incentive is increased from $6.80 to $20.40 for GPs who bulk bill people under 16 years, or holders of health care cards,” Dr Lyons said.

“But that measure is clearly too late in parts of Logan.

“The incentive will allow some GP practices to remain open and patients to continue to be bulkbilled for the time being — so it’s a temporary win-win.

“But with inflation and rising rents this will become a recurring theme until the rebate is linked to CPI and the cost of running a business.

“Practices where bulk billing is no longer financially viable will forgo the incentive and simply charge what they feel like, which is placing a burden on bulk billing surgeries.

“There is no incentive for doctors now working longer hours to take up the slack after other businesses have closed or moved away from bulk billing.”

Eagleby, where the surgery has weathered a number of medical clinic closures. Picture: Judith Kerr

The current standard rebate of $39.75 for a doctor seeing a patient for between five and 20 minutes will rise to $41.40 in November after indexation.

Dr Lyons said state government cash sweeteners, also announced this week, to entice doctors to practise in regional and remote areas outside Brisbane, were also unlikely to remedy the critical southside doctor shortage.

Doctors who move to regional or rural areas outside Brisbane will be eligible for state government incentive payments ranging up to $70,000.

Payments of up to $20,000 will also be available for health workers who relocate to places outside the capital.

“Patients are shouting at our staff declaring that they want to see a nurse instead of paying to see a doctor,” Dr Lyons said.

“The problem is that our nurses cannot bill Medicare and patients who see a nurse without a GP consultation will attract a no-rebate fee.”