Veterans in the Riverina Face Major Hurdles Accessing GPs and Specialist Care – This Is Why Pro Patria Centre Exists

Despite repeated promises and official statistics, veterans in the Riverina are still facing an uphill battle to access basic healthcare through their Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) White or Gold Cards. While the Department claims that 36,000 GPs nationwide are registered to accept veteran card arrangements, the reality for many veterans on the ground is starkly different.

Recent Senate Estimates hearings have highlighted the disconnect between official figures and lived experience. In the ACT, for example, only about one-third of eligible veterans are being bulk-billed under DVA arrangements, even though DVA data suggests there are more GPs accepting veteran cards than there are GPs in the territory. This discrepancy is not just a Canberra problem,it’s being felt acutely in regional areas like the Riverina.

Veterans in Wagga Wagga and surrounding regions report increasing difficulty finding a GP willing to register and consistently bulk-bill under DVA rules. Many clinics that once accepted veteran patients now cap numbers or decline new White Card holders altogether. The result? Veterans are forced to travel further afield, often at their own expense, and then navigate the bureaucracy of reimbursement forms just to access the care they were promised.

A 2021 survey by the Pro Patria Centre (PPC) paints a sobering picture. Only 47% of Riverina veterans were satisfied with their GP’s ability to deal with DVA matters, while 14% were outright dissatisfied and 10% had no access to a regular GP at all. The survey also found that 41% of respondents had been hospitalised for a service-related injury or illness in the past two years, with more than half of those hospitalised more than three times. For specialist care, 67% of veterans needing to travel had to go over 300 kilometres for appointments, and 70% could not have a support person with them during hospitalisation or treatment away from home .

The numbers are more than statistics,they represent real people falling through the cracks. Nearly one in four Riverina veterans are struggling to get the basic medical support they’re entitled to, and the average travel distance for specialist care is often over 300 kilometres. These burdens compound the challenges faced by veterans and their families, many of whom are already dealing with complex health needs, including mental health issues and chronic pain.

The Pro Patria Centre has stepped in where possible, coordinating GP access, hosting medical services onsite, and supporting veterans who have nowhere else to turn. However, demand far outstrips what any single organisation can provide. In 2025, the PPC has a GP on site for just one week every three to four months, and appointments are booked out well in advance.

So why are GPs reluctant to take on DVA patients? Feedback from clinicians points to low and inconsistent reimbursement rates, administrative burdens, uncertainty about DVA-funded treatment guidelines, and a lack of education about veteran-specific health needs. Some GPs may process a single DVA claim,enough to be counted in official statistics,but do not routinely accept veteran patients, creating a misleading picture of access.

The recent parliamentary discussions have made it clear: better local coordination between DVA and frontline organisations is needed, along with improved medical training on veteran health, trauma-informed care, and emerging treatments. Awareness campaigns could help more GPs feel confident accepting DVA cards, and funding pathways must remove disincentives for regional clinics.

Innovative treatments such as psychedelics-assisted therapy, endocannabinoid treatment, and transcranial magnetic stimulation are now funded for eligible veterans. But these advances are meaningless if veterans cannot find a GP to manage their ongoing care .

The Riverina is ready to lead the way, with the Pro Patria Centre working on practical, community-driven solutions. But lasting change will require stronger support from all levels of government and the medical community, especially in regional areas where the stakes are highest.

Veterans served their country. Access to healthcare should not be a privilege,it is a promise Australia made to those who served. The Pro Patria Centre and Riverina stand ready to build solutions, but it’s time for the rest of the system to step up.