A federal government decision to slash billions of dollars from public hospitals over the next four years has enraged doctors, who argue they are "stunned" the government would cut money on the back of rising inflation, a burnt-out workforce and a huge backlog of elective surgeries.
This week's federal budget revealed payments to the states and territories for public hospitals are expected to decrease by more than $755 million this financial year and, overall, funding is expected to be cut by $2.4 billion over four years.
