I am pleased to announce that a Labor Government will help people access life-saving medical scans by providing a Medicare-eligible MRI licence for Maitland Hospital. 

The new hospital has an MRI machine, but no Medicare-eligible licence has been granted.  

This means people in Maitland who are not patients of the hospital cannot receive a Medicare rebate on their scans. 

For months I have called on the Liberals to fund a Medicare licence for the new Maitland Hospital, but they have failed to deliver.

A Medicare-eligible licence will mean locals have access to the quality care they need when they need it, rather than having to go elsewhere for scans.  

As you know, Maitland is one of the fastest growing regions in NSW, with the population growing by one family per day.  

People in Maitland deserve to have the best medical services and facilities available to serve the community’s needs for the future.  

Under the former Labor Government, some 238 Medicare-funded MRI licences were granted to health facilities across Australia. 

Labor is the party that built Medicare and only Labor will protect it for the future.

Labor will deliver better healthcare for all Australians.