Submission into access and affordability of medical specialists inquiry

On 16 October 2026, Mental Health Australia made a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability Inquiry into access to and affordability of medical specialists in Australia.

Access to mental health support remains challenging. Cost-of-living pressures are affecting many Australians, with 1 in 5 delaying or forgoing consultations with a mental health practitioner due to cost. This is exacerbated with psychiatry workforce shortages, particularly in rural, regional and remote areas. These barriers coincide with rising demand, with mental health concerns now the leading reason for general practitioner (GP) visits, and increasing mental health related emergency department presentations.

Mental Health Australia’s submission outlines the key issues and opportunities for reform, including: ensuring equitable access to psychiatrist and other medical specialists in rural, regional and remote areas, socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and LGBTQIA+ communities; improving referral pathways to appropriate mental health practitioners; addressing out-of-pocket costs; and the need to utilise existing multidisciplinary, holistic and integrated models-of-care, including through leveraging Medicare Mental Health Centres, youth services, and Mental Health Kids Hubs.