Queensland Government flags free vaccination clinics to circumvent Federal Budget’s $7 GP co-payment

THERE’S been a storm of outrage over the Federal Budget’s $7 GP co-payment. But Queenslanders are set to circumvent it, for one vital service at least.

THE Newman Government has conceded that Queensland may need free vaccination clinics to “offset” the impacts of the GP co-payment.

Health experts have raised concerns that the Abbott Government’s $7 GP co-payment fee, introduced in the Budget, will discourage parents from vaccinating their children.

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Health Minister Lawrence Springborg recently announced $3 million in incentive payments for local hospital and health services to boost vaccination rates.

He said strategies could include free clinics to “offset impacts of the co-payment issue”.

“The Queensland Government and Queensland Health will continue to advocate higher rates of immunisation,” a spokesman for the Minister told The Courier-Mail.

“If there are negative consequences of the proposed co-payment, we can address them with additional free vaccination clinics.”

At present, GPs provide 84 per cent of immunisation services in Queensland.

Mr Springborg stressed the importance of on-time immunisation, saying parents losing track of when vaccines were due was a “significant barrier to immunisation”.

“Having regular GP consultations is the best way for parents to keep track,” he said.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said Queensland was waiting to see further ­details on how the co-payment would apply to parents of children seeking vaccination.

“Queensland has one of the highest vaccination rates, we need to keep working on it all the time to make sure that it doesn’t fall,” she said. “We will watch very carefully what happens with the co-payment.”

New federal Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler yesterday raised concerns about the impact of the GP co-payment on preventative health measures such as vaccination.

Federal Health Minister Peter Dutton confirmed that while children’s vaccinations on the National Immunisation Schedule are free, parents would pay the co-payment.

“If the doctor bulk-bills, the parent will pay the $7 contribution,” he said.