The operator of one GP clinic in Adelaide's north says the business could face closure if the Government pushes ahead with plans for a doctors' "payroll tax charge". There's concerns too from patients who fear they'll being paying more for services already hard to afford.
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00:00 Colin Dent lives with a disability. His wellbeing is heavily dependent on regular trips to his
00:07 doctor. The 74-year-old is now worried that he and fellow patients will soon be paying
00:13 more to see their GP.
00:15 It's not only the businesses that are being affected, it's the patients that are being
00:20 affected greatly.
00:22 Doctors at private GP clinics are alarmed that from July 1 they'll be expected to pay
00:27 payroll tax on their incomes. The state government had previously given contracted general practitioners
00:33 an ongoing amnesty. Dr Vik Jasuria says the practice he part-owns in Craigmore now faces
00:39 potential closure when its lease expires.
00:43 All medical centres are small businesses and if we do not have a small business because
00:47 they take all profitability out of them, there's no reason for the clinic to be functioning
00:51 here and the 1,500 patients we see a week will no longer have a doctor to see.
00:55 The Premier defended the decision in question time, saying the government has been working
01:00 with GPs.
01:01 That collaboration and effort has resulted in a reform that is the envy of GPs in other
01:08 jurisdictions around the country, particularly around the amnesty arrangement.
01:14 The doctors' concerns have been backed up by new data produced by private company HotDocs,
01:19 which found that an increase in payroll tax could see an extra 500,000 people presented
01:25 EDs across South Australia each year.
01:29 Concerns too the extra payroll tax bill could deter medical students from becoming GPs.
01:35 As it is, there's very few people that choose to be GPs right now.
01:40 Treasurer Stephen Mulligan says he'll meet with general practitioners this week.
01:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]