HOSPITAL emergency departments could be overrun by patients trying to avoid a proposed $5 fee to see a doctor being considered by the Abbott Government.

And health groups have warned chronically ill patients who put off seeing a doctor because of the cost could see their condition worsen and require much more expensive hospital treatment.

The government's Commission of Audit is considering the introduction of a $5 fee for bulk billing doctors to reduce unnecessary visits to GPs and save the government around $750 million a year.

Mr Abbott has refused to rule out the introduction of the fee and has warned in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph the country does "need a massive fiscal repair job".

Health Minister Peter Dutton said yesterday "we won't be commenting on speculation around what the Commission of Audit may or may not recommend".

RAZOR GANG PLANS $5 FEE TO SEE GP

The Opposition yesterday branded the plan Tony Abbott's "tax on going to the doctor".

"This is a new tax on Australian families that they weren't told about before the election. It's a tax for going to the doctor," acting Opposition Leader Penny Wong said.

The National Health Performance Authority reported earlier this year that already up to one in seven patients delayed seeing a doctor because of the cost.

The president of the Australasian College Emergency Medicine Dr Anthony Cross said he was concerned anything that impeded access to a GP could increase demand in emergency departments and make it harder for them to meet government targets to treat patients within four hours.

"Emergency departments are increasingly busy and we have large numbers of complex and ill patients waiting for a bed," he said.

"GP type patients may end up waiting long periods and that will put increased pressure on hospitals," he said.

Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association chief Alison Verhoeven said a $5 fee would be a serious hardship for many people with a chronic illness who were already struggling with their health bills.

"It may well be that they rely on emergency departments for care, she said.

"Or, worse, they could avoid seeing a doctor altogether and allow their illness to deteriorate to the point where they end up in hospital and it costs the health system a lot more," he said.

Australian Medical Associaton president Dr Steve Hambleton said he expected more people would use emergency department care if they had to pay $5 to see a doctor.

"Emergency departments are a much more expensive place to treat a patient than a GP surgery," he said.

He urged the government to discuss any proposals for a GP charge with doctors before it was introduced to minimise any adverse outcomes.

An attempt to introduce a copayment would be fraught with great political risk.

The Hawke government introduced a $2.50 co-payment in 1991 but it was highly unpopular and was withdrawn just three months later.

The proposal is being supported by Mr Abbott's former health adviser Terry Barnes who has told the Commission of Audit it could save the government $750 million over four years.