Live: Are you struggling to access basic health care? Have your say

Whether you are battling high costs, long distances or stretching waitlists, many Australians have told us that accessing health care is becoming harder than ever. We want to hear your stories and experiences in our live blog below, where you can also put your questions to the Grattan Institute's Peter Breadon and ABC health reporters Stephanie Dalzell and Lauren Roberts.Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:41amTue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:41amOur in-house experts answering your questions todayWe have not one but two our own health reporters joining the blog today to answer your questions.First up is Stephanie Dalzell, the ABC's national health reporter, based at Parliament House in Canberra.(ABC News)Before taking on the national health reporter role, Steph worked in the press gallery for almost a decade specialising in health policy.Recently she's covered issues like the thousands of aged care patients stranded in public hospitals across the country and PBS pricing stoushes.Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:36amTue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:36amIntroducing our guest expert Peter BreadonAlongside our own health reporters Stephanie Dalzell and Lauren Roberts, we have the Grattan Institute's health program director, Peter Breadon, on board to answer your questions.Based in Melbourne, Peter was previously a health fellow at the institute, where he co-authored reports on hospital efficiency, pharmaceutical pricing and health workforce.(Supplied)He has also worked in a variety of senior policy and operational roles in government, and holds a Master of Public Policy from the London School of Economics and a Master of Public Administration from the Hertie School of Governance.Peter has a wealth of knowledge on all things health policy and is with us for the next couple of hours to answer your questions — which you can submit in the field above.Tue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:30amTue 8 Sep 2026 at 11:30amLet's talk all things access to health careHave you been waiting for months on end for a specialist appointment? Maybe you can't even get in to see a regular GP?We've also heard many of you are concerned about incoming changes to the NDIS, the decline of private maternity services across the country and the high cost of dental, just to name a few issues.We're opening up a live Q&A today with Peter Breadon from the Grattan Institute, as well as ABC health reporters Stephanie Dalzell and Lauren Roberts.For the next couple of hours you can submit your questions in the field above.We also want to hear your stories, experiences and challenges on all things access to health care.