Australians struggling with their mental health and looking for support will soon be able to access appointments online without a referral.

Tuesday’s budget includes $588 million to set up a low-intensity mental health service that patients would be able to use for free.

The program will be online from the beginning of 2026 and is expected to provide help to 150,000 people annually in a bid to boost suicide prevention services.

The rollout of urgent care clinics will also continue, with $227 million to go towards adding 29 centres to the 87 now in place. 

The clinics are used for patients to have minor illnesses or injuries addressed, often out of hours, so as to avoid having to go to emergency departments.

Four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government will provide $825 million for testing and vaccinations against the disease, which includes access to anti-viral medication under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

The government will also look to address workforce shortages within the health sector, handing out $116.2 million over the next five years.

The money will include $90 million to make it easier for health workers from overseas to come and work in Australia.

Meanwhile, $17.4 million will be spent to expand an incentive fund for GPs to improve primary care access in areas where there are limited numbers of clinics.

Aged care will also be bolstered by $2.2 billion over the next five years to implement reforms recommended by the Royal Commission into the sector.

The measures also included more than $500 million to provide more than 24,000 home-care packages in the upcoming financial year.

The government will also spend $3.4 billion to list new medicines on the PBS.

Higher Medicare rebates will also kick in for women to see gynaecological specialists for treatment for conditions such as endometriosis, with $49.1 million set aside.

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This post was originally published on Michael West.