In all likelihood there won’t be, given the size of the promises already made. The news will be in what cuts are made to fund the big-ticket items.
If treasurer Jim Chalmers has another big-ticket health budget item tucked in his back pocket ahead of tonight’s speech then he has kept it very quiet and it must be a banger.
But the reality is likely much more mundane.
In this, the budget nobody wanted but Cyclone Alfred blew in, the big health announcements have already been made, most likely on the schedule which would have been locked in place had PM Albanese been able to announce the election date on the Sunday Mr Alfred made landfall.
Expect Alfred to get more than a passing mention when the deficit figure is announced – the $1.2 billion repair bill will help push the cost of natural disasters to almost $2 billion more than the mid-year update forecast.
Instead, tonight we’re more likely to hear a list of commitments we already know about and a snapshot of how Labor intends to pay for them. Any new commitments will come after the election date is announced – and that could be as early as this coming Sunday.
Labor has already promised $37 billion of election spending, most of it matched by the Coalition. Quite a chunk of that has gone on the following health promises:
- $8.5 billion on the new bulk-billing incentives for GPs – only $2.4 billion of that will be spent over the next four years, however;
- $689 million to cap the cost of PBS medicines at $25 per script;
- $644 million for 50 new urgent care clinics;
- $573 million for a women’s health package that includes cheaper hormone replacement therapies and contraceptive pills;
- $1.7 billion increase in funding to the states for public hospital spending;
- $2.6 billion increase in aged care worker salaries;
- $135.2 million to digital mental health programs.
Meanwhile the cost of the NDIS is projected to rise by 8.2% a year over the next decade, the cost of hospitals will rise by 6.3% per year, the MBS by 5.7% per year, and aged care by 5.2% — all those numbers come from December’s MYEFO documents.
The Australian College of Nursing has released its pre-budget wishlist, calling for the federal government to fund measures to support nurses experiencing perimenopause and menopause.
Around 88% of the nursing workforce is female and about half of those are of an age to experience perimenopause and menopause, said the college.
“More than 344,000 women serve as the backbone of our healthcare system,” said Adjunct Professor Kathryn Zeitz, CEO of the ACN.
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“Yet many of these dedicated professionals face significant challenges personally as they navigate perimenopause and menopause, often without adequate workplace support or understanding.”
Around 80% of women experience symptoms associated with menopause, including hot flushes, insomnia, mood changes, and cognitive challenges. These symptoms can significantly impact physical health, mental wellbeing, and the ability to perform in demanding roles like nursing.
The ACN is calling for an $8 million investment to implement two key recommendations:
$5 million for a national awareness campaign about the impacts of perimenopause and menopause in the nursing workforce;
$3 million to develop and deliver an online perimenopause and menopause education program for nurses, incorporating a train-the-trainer approach.
“This investment is not just about supporting individual nurses – it’s about strengthening our entire healthcare system,” Professor Zeitz said.
“By equipping nurses with the knowledge and resources to navigate these life stages, we can improve workforce retention, enhance career longevity, and ultimately deliver better health outcomes for all Australians.”
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia also released its 2025 election platform today, and its key priorities were:
- Funding measures to enhance the professional practice of pharmacists, as committed to by government;
- Upskilling pharmacists to practice at their full scope through government-funded training programs;
- Allowing pharmacists to prescribe PBS medicines within their scope of practice, improving access and affordability for patients;
- Implementing a national incident logging and pharmacovigilance system to reduce medicine-related harm;
- Removing service provider caps for Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs) to improve patient access to critical medication management services;
- Increasing remuneration for aged care onsite pharmacists to support greater uptake of the program and enhance medication safety for older Australians.
- Embedding pharmacists in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services to close the gap in medicine safety and access;
- Doubling Workforce Incentive Program funding to support more pharmacists in general practice, improving chronic disease management.
