Theme: Healthy
Dimension: Equitable access to quality health and care services
Metrics
- Cost: proportion of people who at least once delayed or did not see a General Practitioner (GP) when needed due to cost
- Cost: proportion of people who at least once delayed or did not see a medical specialist when needed due to cost
- Wait times: proportion of people waiting longer than they felt acceptable for an appointment with a GP
- Wait times: proportion of people waiting longer than they felt acceptable for an appointment with a medical specialist
Why does this matter
Health services are those which prevent, diagnose, treat, and manage health conditions.
While many factors determine accessibility, health service cost and wait times are two measures that provide an insight into how effectively Australia’s health services are operating.
Other factors that can inhibit access include distance, availability of services, time pressures, language difficulties and a person’s understanding of their health care needs.
Has there been progress
GP and medical specialist services were selected as they represent two of the largest touchpoints within the health system for most Australians.
In 2021‑22, 3.5 per cent of people delayed or did not see a GP when needed due to cost, an improvement from 4.9 per cent in 2013‑14.
8 per cent of people delayed or did not see a medical specialist when needed due to cost, similar to 7.9 per cent in 2013‑14.1
The proportion of people waiting longer than they felt acceptable for an appointment with a GP or a medical specialist have both increased since 2013‑14, growing to 23.4 per cent and 26.7 per cent respectively.
How does this differ across cohorts
Patient experience with access to health services differs substantively across cohorts and locations.
In 2021‑22, those living in outer regional, remote or very remote areas were more likely to report waiting longer than they felt acceptable for a GP appointment than those living in major cities — 28.7 per cent compared to 21.6 per cent — highlighting regional disparities.
1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022) Patient Experiences Survey, ABS Website accessed 28 June 2023.