00:03It was one of Tasmanian Labor's key election policies.
00:09Free bulk billing GP clinics was a policy so appealing the Liberals adopted it.
00:15The first will be in the Meander Valley, operating out of Deloraine and Westbury.
00:20This will mean that we'll be able to deliver an additional 20,000 bulk billed appointments
00:26between Deloraine and Westbury per year.
00:28The state government is giving the clinic money to extend its consulting space at both
00:34sites and employ more staff.
00:36It will also significantly reduce wait times for patients.
00:42But Labor's pitch for Tassie Docs was for them to be state owned.
00:46The idea was for the government to pay for the building and the overheads so the doctors,
00:51who are contractors, could bulk bill all patients.
00:55Providing grants to private businesses is a big step away from the commitment they made
01:00at the election.
01:01The right solution for this community is to expand this existing practice.
01:07That's not necessarily going to be the right solution for other communities.
01:10One of the Tassie Docs bulk billed clinics is meant to be right here in the Huon.
01:16But Labor is raising concerns about its progress.
01:19We want to know where the site is, when it's going to be happening, what services it will
01:24provide.
01:24The clinic was supposed to be part of a $15 million health precinct, including an out
01:30of hours doctor and a mental health hub.
01:33It's desperately needed, according to Mary Haviland, a single mum of three kids.
01:38They've learnt that they can't get sick or have injuries on the weekends or out of hours,
01:43because it's going to be a zoopa-doopa from mum until we can get them up to the Royal.
01:47The government says it's working through a model for the Huon clinic with stakeholders.
01:51HiRIS, my friends, hi tips!
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