Budget does not do enough for Covid fatigued health system and aged care workforce crisis, peak bodies say
Representatives say predicted winter Omicron wave will further strain GPs, while allocated funding will not alleviate care workforce shortage
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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.
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Read the original article at The Guardian