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RACGP Victoria welcomes measures to improve access to abortion care

Royal Australian College of GPs

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has welcomed the Victorian Government’s commitment to making abortion care more affordable and accessible for women, particularly those living in regional and rural communities.

RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz said cost and access barriers continue to prevent many Victorians from receiving timely reproductive healthcare.

“Every Victorian deserves access to safe, timely, and affordable healthcare close to home, regardless of where they live,” she said.

“Access to abortion care remains inequitable across Victoria, with women in regional and rural communities often facing significant travel, cost, and workforce barriers.

“No woman should have to travel hundreds of kilometres or delay care because of where she lives or what she can afford. Improving access to abortion care, particularly in regional Victoria, is an important step toward a fairer healthcare system.”

The RACGP has long advocated for improved abortion access, including low-cost and no-cost abortion pathways for rural and remote patients and measures to address barriers to private abortion services.

According to Women’s Health Victoria, 67% of Victorian local government areas do not have a surgical abortion provider, while regional Victorians seeking abortion care are almost twice as likely as metropolitan residents to access care after 12 weeks’ gestation.

Dr Muñoz said general practitioners play a critical role in delivering reproductive healthcare and supporting women to access appropriate care.

“GPs provide person-centred, comprehensive, and ongoing care throughout every stage of a patient’s life, including reproductive and sexual healthcare,” she said.

“Patients trust their GP to help them navigate important healthcare decisions and coordinate the care they need.”

The RACGP said improving access to abortion care aligns with broader efforts to strengthen healthcare access across Victoria, particularly in communities facing workforce shortages.

“Victorians deserve affordable access to healthcare when and where they need it,” Dr Muñoz said.

“Improving access to abortion care is one example of why Victoria must back community-based healthcare.

“The RACGP’s Victorian election platform calls for practical measures that make it easier and more affordable for people to access care close to home, including strengthening the GP workforce, supporting practices in regional communities and reducing the cost barriers that stop patients getting the care they need.”

~ENDS

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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the voice of general practitioners (GPs) in our growing cities and throughout rural and remote Australia. For more than 60 years, we’ve supported the backbone of Australia’s health system by setting the standards for education and practice and advocating for better health and wellbeing for all Australians.

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