Only one in eight general practitioners are bulk billing all their patients, a new survey has found.
The findings from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) indicated the amount of GPs bulkbilling have halved, 24 per cent to just 12, in the surveyed period, leaving doctors stressed about the capability of their business.
Meanwhile, 30 per cent of the 2,048 GPs surveyed said it fully bulkbilled “the majority” of patients, down from 40 per cent the year before.
With four in 10 GPs charging their patients over $85 for a regular consultation, the $41.40 Medicare rebate is covering less than half of the cost.
For patients who are able to see a fully bulkbilled GP, they are not required to pay any of the consultation cost.
The report also found a decline in GP job satisfaction.
Overall job satisfaction from GPs weas 66 per cent in 2023, down from 70 per cent in 2022.
In contrast, GPs who said they were “very dissatisfied” with their overall job satisfaction rose from four to six per cent.
In regard to working hours, six in 10 GPs said they worked less than 40 hours per week, which was similar to 2022 while five person work more than 60 hours a week.
RACGP president Dr Nicole Higgins said the findings showed sourcing and retaining GPs remained one of the biggest concerns.
“Our report is further evidence that we are facing a looming shortfall of GPs, and we need to do much more to attract and retain this essential workforce, for the health of Australians now and into the future,” she said.
“Addressing these three key barriers would make an immediate difference in getting more GPs training and working in the communities that need them.”