Should Australia’s GPs and patients be excited about the Medicare pledge? Yes and no | Mariam Tokhi

Anthony Albanese says he has a vision that 90% of GP consultations will be bulk-billed by 2030 .

The government is proposing boosting funding to bulk-bill incentives and applying these incentives to all patients not just children and Health Care Card holders.

The LNP which has previously argued against socialist universal healthcare is matching the pledge.

There are many things to celebrate here: an investment in primary care and particularly the commitment to support for junior doctors entering the GP workforce.

To make good referrals, not write one -line handoffs. To call a specialist or allied health worker and ask for advice. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is asking for better funding for longer consults and mental healthcare. It’s an important demand because we need good medicine, not just fast medicine. Dr Mariam Tokhi is a general practitioner and teaches narrative medicine at the University of Melbourne .