Peak bodies representing doctors and nurses say the federal budget does little to address a health system fatigued from responding to Covid-19, and that a failure to provide enough money for workforce shortages in areas like aged care and disability will further exacerbate the strain.
The budget, handed down on Tuesday night, allocated $4.2bn in 2022-23 for the ongoing pandemic response, including $1bn for further rollout of vaccines, and $2.6bn to replenish the stockpile of personal protective equipment and rapid antigen tests in high-risk settings.
