A recent report from the Grattan Institute reveals that Western Australia has some of the worst access to specialist care in the country, particularly in regions such as Bunbury, Mandurah, and Outback WA.

To meet healthcare needs, Outback WA requires at least a 20% increase in total specialist appointments.

The shortage of specialists is exacerbated by their tendency to remain in urban areas after training, despite one-third of final-year medical students expressing interest in rural work.

Access to specialist care in Australia is severely limited, with only one-third of specialist appointments being bulk-billed, compared to 78% for general practitioner visits.

Many patients unable to afford specialist fees face long waits for public clinic appointments, leading to a painful dilemma of 'pay or delay'.

Every year, two million Australians delay or skip specialist healthcare, which can lead to serious health issues.

Delaying specialist care can result in worse health outcomes and increased costs for the healthcare system.

Areas with inadequate private care receive significantly fewer public appointments, underscoring the need for increased services in these regions.

The goal is to ensure prompt access to necessary specialist treatment for all West Australians without financial strain or long wait times.

Governments should identify future healthcare needs and fund training positions accordingly to address the specialist shortage.

The Federal Government should tackle high specialist fees by retracting subsidies from doctors who charge excessive rates and publicly naming those practitioners.

The Northern Territory lacks accredited training sites for certain specialties, despite having a similar volume of cases as other regions, indicating a need for better allocation of training resources.