
7.7 per cent of Australians put off seeing a GP because of cost
The figure was 11.1 per cent for 15 to 34 year olds. Here is how free public clinics would help.
Sujan Selven, Greens candidate for Prospect. NSW election: Saturday 13 March 2027. Get involved
A sore tooth, a worrying lump, a bad month for your mental health: too many of us wait and hope it passes, because the visit costs too much or is too hard to arrange. Across Australia, 7.7 per cent of people put off seeing a GP because of cost in 2024-25, and among 15 to 34 year olds it was 11.1 per cent. In Western Sydney, where families speak many languages, care should be close, free and easy to use.

Why it matters
Cost is a big reason. It is not the only one. In Cumberland, only 26.6 per cent of people speak only English at home, so care has to work in many languages. Services that are close to home, free to use and easy to understand mean problems are caught early, not left until they are serious.
What changes for people
See a GP, nurse, psychologist or dentist near home, with nothing to pay.
Mental health care that does not stop when a set number of sessions runs out.
Care that works in your language.

What I am working towards
I want everyone in Prospect to be able to see a doctor, nurse, dentist or psychologist close to home, in a language they understand. Most funding for GP, dental and mental health care comes through Medicare, so this takes action in Canberra as well as in NSW, and I will push for it from NSW Parliament. These are the changes I will fight for, and what each one means for you.
1,000 new public clinics across Australia with free GP, nursing, psychology and dental care, and one of them in Prospect
A doctor, nurse, psychologist or dentist near home, with nothing to pay at the door.
Dental care and unlimited mental health sessions covered under Medicare
A dental check-up and mental health care that do not depend on your bank balance.
Interpreters and culturally safe care in the new clinics
You can explain how you feel, and understand what you are told, in your own language.
a free clinic close to home, where you can see a doctor, nurse, dentist or psychologist in your own language.
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The figure was 11.1 per cent for 15 to 34 year olds. Here is how free public clinics would help.

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Other priorities
Cap rent rises and build public homes, so you can plan your year.
Cheaper power bills from public renewables, plus help to switch off gas.
Free buses, trains and ferries, worth up to $2,600 a year to a weekly commuter.