Batehaven GP Lachlan Brown wants to see health as a major issue leading up to the May 18 federal election.
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He wants a greater emphasis on primary care and preventative care.
"That includes working with general practice to prevent the complications of chronic illness that we're seeing in the community," Dr Brown said.
"We need sensible policies to promote a healthy diet and reduce alcohol intake.
"An alcohol tax should be based on alcohol content in drinks rather than the lobbying power of the beverage industry."
He also supported a sugar tax.
The Medicare rebate - even without the freeze - is gradually being eroded over time.
- Dr Lachlan Brown
Dr Brown said he supported South Coast obstetrician Dr Michael Holland's efforts in mental health, and wanted longer consultation times.
"Shorter consultations make it difficult for counselling or mental health evaluations," he said.
He said there were not enough GPs available to work in aged care facilities on the South Coast.
"That comes down to the difficulties of getting enough GPs trained and willing to work in rural areas," he said.
"Junior doctors are working inside hospital systems and get very little exposure to general practice."
The patient who sees a GP will cost the government about $38. If they see the emergency department it would be a lot more.
- Dr Lachlan Brown
He disagreed with the axing, four years ago, of a program allowing junior hospital doctors to do supervised work in general practice.
"It was a successful program in that participants who had experienced general practice were more likely to go into general practice training," he said.
"For the past two years general practice training programs in Australia have been under-subscribed despite record numbers of medical graduates."
He said general practice care was good value for the government.
"The patient who sees a GP will cost the government about $38. If they see the emergency department it would be a lot more," he said.
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Dr Brown said the Medicare freeze was a disservice to Aboriginal-owned primary care providers.
"Aboriginal health services bulk bill their consultations so rely completely on government funding," he said.
"There's a bi-partisan promise to end the Medicare freeze, which is good, but the Medicare Benefits Schedule has been indexed with the Wage Cost Index, which is on average half the Consumer Price Index.
"It means the Medicare rebate - even without the freeze - is gradually being eroded over time.
"It's bad for general practice but particularly for Aboriginal primary care, which relies on government funding."