New analysis of patient experiences released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that 39.1% of people in need of urgent medical care waited for 24 hours or more to see a GP.
The new data also showed that people living in outer regional, remote or very remote areas were more likely to wait for 24 hours or more to see a GP for urgent medical care.
Robert Long, ABS Director, Health Statistics, said: “In 2021-22, 39.1% of people who saw a GP for urgent medical care reported waiting for 24 hours or more – an increase from 33.9% in 2020-21.”
The Patient Experience Survey 2021-22 showed people living in outer regional, remote or very remote areas (49.5%) were more likely to wait for 24 hours or more to see a GP for urgent medical care than those living in major cities (35.5%).
There was also an increase in the proportion of people who waited longer than they felt was acceptable to get an appointment with a GP (23.4% compared to 16.6% in 2020-21) or a medical specialist (26.7% compared to 21.7% in 2020-21).
“The survey found that 32.8% of people could not see their preferred GP on at least one occasion, compared to 25.5% in 2020-21,” Mr Long said.
More than four in five (82.7%) people surveyed said GPs always showed them respect.
The proportion of people who needed to see a health professional for their mental health increased to 18.5% in 2021-22, from 17.3% in 2020-21. Of these people, 38.9% delayed or did not see a mental health professional at least once when needed, an increase from 34.3% in 2020-21.
People have continued to take advantage of expanded telehealth services in 2021-22, particularly those offered by GPs. Almost one third (30.8%) of people had a telehealth consultation in the last 12 months, an increase from 28.8% in 2020-21. Over a quarter (25.8%) of all people had a telehealth consultation with a GP.
More than four in five (81.6%) people said telehealth practitioners always listened carefully.
