28 October 2025
"I saw myself in the survey results through the healthcare experiences of my own ."
Opinion piece by Jan Donovan , Finance, Audit & Risk Committee Chair, CHF
There is a lot of rich feedback available from the National Consumer Sentiment Survey 2024.
According to the survey, Australians with access to health care overall are satisfied with their health services particularly - their primary health care services. This satisfaction with healthcare quality was strongly related to having private health insurance and living in a high or middle-income area. However, just over half of the people surveyed, 56% approved of their health services but wanted changes to make it work better.
Of those surveyed nearly two out of three (63%) reported living with a chronic condition. Some 16% have caring responsibilities while 15% are living with a disability.
The survey shows areas that need improvement. They are affordability and overcoming unequal access to health care. More health professionals are also needed to help overcome unequal access. On reflection, I think these key findings from the survey are important for politicians and policy makers to understand and continue to address.
Firstly, two questions in the survey show the extent of the issue. One in ten people surveyed did not fill in a prescription for prescribed medicine. The same group did not have a test or medical treatment recommended by a doctor or dentist and were not able to attend an appointment. Affordability clearly remains a substantial barrier to access to medical care for this group in the population.
Secondly, access to care is very unequal. According to this survey access to healthcare is a problem for these four groups: younger people (under age 45), people with chronic illness, those living in low-income areas and those without private health insurance residing outside major cities.
To illustrate this point some younger people face major health problems. A recent article in the Australian titled “Cancer is becoming more common in 30 something Australians” reported statistics from AIHW. This data showed that the rate of cancer among this age group increased by 8% over the past decade. As of 2025, some 135 of young Australians aged between 30 to 40 years in every 100,000 dies from cancer every year.
I saw myself in the survey results through the healthcare experiences of my own.
The AIHW statistics are frightening for me as my friend is in this age cohort and was diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago. This meant that they could not work while they were having their extended chemotherapy treatment. Fortunately, as a resident in inner Melbourne, they were able to access first class treatment as a public patient. But many young people affected by life-threatening illness don’t live in inner city Melbourne.
Affordability and access to health care matters. This survey also shows that it is younger people like my friend and people with chronic illness who are the ones struggling to afford and access health care. The risk is that many younger people will ignore their symptoms until the cancer spreads or their illness worsens if they cannot afford the doctor’s appointment and the tests (MRI, CT and Pet) scans needed to accurately diagnose their condition.
Health Literacy scores for navigating the health system in this age cohort were lower as well. Some 44% of young people are not engaged in making use of digital records specifically My Health Record. Lower levels of health literacy are associated with a poorer range of health outcomes. Communicating the benefits of these initiatives such as My Health Record and My Medicare to young consumers will ensure that their value will be realised.
Another important survey finding relates to carers. Some 16% of those surveyed had caring responsibilities for people with health-related and aging issues. Another 15% were living with a disability. There are many additional costs associated with caring and for those living with a disability. 56% of those surveyed felt that government spending on health care was too low.
Given these results, additional spending on health care to address affordability and access would be welcome. Spending on health care in the future needs to ensure that preventive health care strategies are among the Federal Governments initiatives to ensure young Australians can grow up and be free of chronic illness.
Fortunately, the Federal Government is putting in place several initiatives that are aimed at enabling people who are currently missing out on services due to affordability. The bulk billing incentive for primary health aims to increase access to care for those who delay or don’t currently see a GP because they cannot afford it.
Of those surveyed 82% said it was important or very important to access fully bulk billed services. The PBS changes to allow for a 60-day script and lower copayment are also important to improve affordability.
Many Australians 66% also raised the health workforce issue among the top five things to improve. Accessing primary health care is made more difficult due to the shortage of GP’s and allied health professionals. Under Strengthening Medicare, the Federal Government is training more health professionals.
Also important are initiatives such as telehealth for access but the quality of care received needs to be monitored. Improving health literacy as I said earlier is also important as part of preventive health strategies.
The Federal Government has funded this survey to give a clearer picture of what Australians think and value about health care. It clearly shows the areas that need improvement if we are truly going to uphold the principle of Medicare -universal access to health care in Australia.
We’re looking forward to seeing the results of future surveys to help us improve the performance of our health system for the benefit of all of us living in Australia. Please read the survey for yourself there is much valuable information contained in this survey.
Thank you.
Jan Donovan
Finance, Audit & Risk Committee Chair, CHF
