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Australians are often told that we have the world’s best health system. But people on low incomes or those living in regional and remote areas might disagree. 

Australians in remote and very remote regions are twice as likely to die from premature causes, and four times as likely to be admitted to hospital than their metropolitan counterparts. Yet metropolitan and inner regional areas receive $1,200 per person in Medicare benefits – twice that of remote areas and almost four times of very remote regions receive. 

Meanwhile almost two million Australians delay and skip specialist appointments with half of them citing prohibitive cost as the reason. 

Australia effectively has a two-tier healthcare system, where access is dictated by patients’ wealth and postcode and not medical need. This goes against the Medicare principle of universal access. 

Those who delay or skip specialist care often deteriorate. This affects their personal and working life and even require hospitalisation for a problem that could have been managed sooner.

In this webinar, Dr Elizabeth Deveny, Chief Executive Officer, Consumers Health Forum of Australia, Sandy Gillies, Chief Executive Officer of Western Queensland PHN, Dr Tim Senior, GP at an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service in South West Sydney, and Dr Luke Slawomirski, Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Australia Institute, will discuss how we got to this point and what can be done about it.

SPEAKERS:

Dr Elizabeth Deveny — Chief Executive Officer, Consumers Health Forum of Australia

Dr Elizabeth Deveny is the CEO of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia, the national peak body for health consumers. She’s spent her career leading health system reforms that aim to make care fairer, smarter, and more connected to people’s real lives. From digital health to primary care strategy, Elizabeth brings deep experience and a clear focus on equity and access. She’s passionate about making sure that policy decisions, including how we price and fund healthcare, are shaped by the voices of the people they affect most.

Sandy Gillies — Chief Executive Officer, Western Queensland PHN

Sandy, a proud Gunggari woman born and raised in outback Winton, embarked on her health career as a nurse in Charleville. With a focus on rural and remote primary health care, she navigated vast distances and limited resources, garnering invaluable experience. Driven by a passion for improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Sandy transitioned into roles as an Aboriginal Health Worker and later assumed senior positions with the Queensland Mental Health Commission and the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council. In 2017, she joined WQPHN, leveraging her expertise in strategic planning, project management and leadership to become its Chief Executive Officer in 2021. As the first Indigenous CEO among 31 Primary Health Networks across Australia, Sandy continues to spearhead initiatives aimed at advancing healthcare accessibility and outcomes for all, especially those in remote and very remote communities.

Dr Tim Senior — GP, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service South West of Sydney 

Dr Tim Senior has worked as a GP in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service South West of Sydney for over 20 years, and prior to this has worked in the Northern Territory and the Torres Strait. He is a Churchill Fellow,with expertise in general practice care in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. He teaches, writes and works in policy and advocacy on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Health and fairness in health care. He lives and works on Dharawal Country.

Dr Luke Slawomirski — Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The Australia Institute