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The head of the peak body representing doctors says a report to government following a Medicare review has nothing in it to help Australians immediately access better health care.

Health has been put at the top of the priority list for federal, state and territory leaders with the prime minister planning to overhaul the ailing Medicare system.

At the first national cabinet meeting of the year, leaders considered recommendations from a Medicare task force report on measures to improve healthcare affordability and accessibility, support people with chronic health conditions and take pressure off hospitals.

The report called for patient-centered care to be at the heart of reforms and included recommendations to improve access to general practice, use the health workforce better and improve the My Health Record system.

But Australian Medical Association president Steve Robson said while he welcomed the review, there was nothing in the report to ensure Australians struggling to see a GP or facing long operation waitlists were seen any quicker or more affordably.

"There is absolutely nothing in the report that will provide anything immediate and that is what we need," he told reporters in Canberra.

"Australians can see the crisis the health system is in and we were surprised to see nothing more come out of (national cabinet).

"We had the most powerful political leaders in the country all in one room and it doesn't seem like they could agree on anything."

Mr Robson said people were tired of the Labor government blaming the previous coalition government for the problems in health care.

"You've been in government long enough now, it's 2023, you need to own this problem, you need to have a national plan," he said.

Mr Albanese said his government intended to act on the recommendations from the report.

"The key going forward is to better integrate the systems so that patients (have) better health care and we know that the earlier the care is provided, the cheaper that care will be," he said.

The prime minister said better policy, not necessarily more funding, was key to fixing issues in the Medicare system.

"We all agree ... part of the issues are people turning up at emergency departments because they don't have other options," he said.

"We need to improve primary health care (and) we need to improve access to GP services."

A proposal to allow pharmacists to potentially prescribe medications to common ailments was welcomed by state and territory leaders, but knocked back by Professor Robson.

"There's a very good reason why there is a natural break between prescribing a medication and dispensing it and we don't think breaking that silo adds anything and, in fact, it just adds another layer of complexity and potential cost," he said.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the federal budget in May would show which of the report's recommendations the government planned to spend an allocated $750 million on.

But he said the crisis would not be resolved overnight.

"I want to be really frank with Australians and with people working in the health sector: I know this is not a single budget challenge, I know there will be more to do," he said.

"This is not a question of just chucking money at the existing system. The existing system needs to change to reflect the care needs of the Australian population."

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said more money wasn't necessarily the solution to improving the health system.

"Let's put patients at the centre of that system, integrate the networks in a better and more efficient way and then work out the funding arrangements off the back of it," he said.

© AAP 2023

A prominent Indigenous advocate has told Australia's leaders the voice to parliament is about respect, as all states and territories signed on to support constitutional reform.

The prime minister, premiers and chief ministers signed a statement of intent to work collaboratively and support a constitutionally enshrined voice.

The signing came after Indigenous leader Pat Turner briefed the leaders on the connection between closing the wellbeing gap and constitutional recognition.

"This is a reform that should be above party politics," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said after the signing.

"This is about two things: recognition and consultation."

The statement said constitutional reform was a significant opportunity for recognition and acknowledged the "enduring strength of First People leadership".

It also recognised the importance of consulting them on matters directly affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Ms Turner is understood to have told the meeting there was a direct link between constitutional recognition and practical outcomes, as the leaders re-endorsed a national closing the gap agreement initially signed in 2020.

She has been invited to address each state and territory cabinet on how to improve Indigenous service delivery, which the prime minister said required an effort across all levels of government and departments, including health, education and housing.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has held out lending his support for the voice, saying while all parties wanted to work towards closing the gap, there wasn't enough detail on the proposed constitutional change to determine whether it would work.

He also accused the prime minister of withholding details of the voice as a deliberate political strategy.

"Like all Australians, we want to see a better outcome for the Indigenous people of our country," he told Nine's Today program on Friday.

"We are willing to look at any measure to do that. There are lots of questions around the voice and lots of detail that hasn't yet been provided."

Mr Dutton has asked about who would be eligible to serve on the body, how they would be appointed, what they would consult on, and how it would impact people's lives.

But the prime minister has proposed a simple change to the constitution - enshrining an Indigenous voice to parliament - with the fine detail to be debated and endorsed by parliament.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he agreed with the principle of the referendum.

"It should be above politics," the Liberal premier said when asked if he'd consulted with his federal colleagues.

"It should be a moment which unites the country, doesn't divide the country."

A delegation of Indigenous leaders from around the country will travel to Canberra when parliament resumes to continue to push MPs on a constitutionally enshrined voice.

Leaders from Cape York, inner Sydney, Goulburn-Murray and the Kimberley will seek to meet with members from all sides of politics next week to share their experiences from their local communities.

Cape York leader Fiona Jose said the voice could shift the dial on disadvantage in areas such as education, health care, employment and cultural protections.

"Our local and regional communities must be empowered to partner with government to action strong solutions," she said.

"It's a practical and enduring way for Australia to recognise its first peoples."

© AAP 2023

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet with state and territory leaders to consider a plan to solve challenges within Australia's healthcare system.

Premiers and chief ministers will meet Mr Albanese in Canberra on Friday for the first national cabinet meeting of the year, after he hosted dinner at the Lodge on Thursday night.

At the top of the agenda will be the findings of a review by the Medicare task force on measures to improve healthcare affordability and accessibility, support Australians with chronic health conditions and take pressure off hospitals.

Leaders will also be updated on Closing the Gap measures, energy priorities, national firearms reform, local government and housing.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the Medicare advisory group had recommended measures to improve access to health care and deliver better patient support.

"Australians deserve access to a primary care system for the 21st century," he said.

"A system that reflects the disease profile of an older population, including a population that has more complex chronic disease."

Ahead of the meeting, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet called for new ways to address challenges such as long wait times and decreasing staff numbers.

"The first thing is we need to better integrate the primary care, GP network with the public health system ... right across the country," he told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.

Mr Perrottet said it was important for all levels of government to start with the best policies, rather than focus on a specific dollar amount.

"Whether it's pharmacy reform, telehealth, extra bulk-billing rates and GPs, these are the types of measures that will make a real difference and that's what I'll be discussing with the premiers, chief ministers and the prime minister," he said.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners called on leaders to put patients first in Medicare reforms.

The college's president Nicole Higgins said improving costs and access to medicines must be on the table, as well as reforming anti-competitive pharmacy laws.

"The Medicare task force review is about improving access to care for patients and we need to consider everything as part of this," she said.

"Australia's pharmacy ownership laws are anti-competitive and this inflates the cost to consumers, makes it harder for people to access medicines and reduces choice."

© AAP 2023