Across Australia, use of non-hospital Medicare-subsidised services, such as GP, allied health, specialist and diagnostic imaging, varies considerably depending on where a patient lives. This variation may reflect differences in patients’ health and health care preferences, population growth and accessibility of services (availability, costs and service options).

  • Cat. no: PHE 254
Findings from this report:

  • The number of GP services per person has risen by 8% over 5 years

  • More than 1 in 3 people (37%) used a Medicare-subsidised allied health service in 2017–18, up from 32% in 2013–14

  • The number of specialist visits per person has risen by 6% over 5 years

  • In 2017–18, 38% of people in Northern Sydney PHN area saw a specialist compared with 14% in the Northern Territory