6 August 2022 - Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has acknowledged there will be “terrible consequences” if general practice continues to ­decline amid the widespread withdrawal of universal bulk billing and escalating GP shortages.

“We’ve got to turn this around,” Mr Butler said in response to revelations that huge numbers of general practices have been writing to their patients in recent weeks to advise they were no longer able to offer bulk billing, with some practices now asking pensioners to pay a gap fee.

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