PM renews GP co-payment push

Tony Abbott is again urging Labor and crossbench MPs to "put the politics to one side" and support the government's $7 GP fee.

The prime minister was in Sydney's west on Thursday to officially open a $110 million medical research centre.

The Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research will be home to 400 scientists and clinicians but Mr Abbott says another 100 staff could be added to the facility should the government's budget measures pass the Senate.

"I say to the Labor Party and the cross bench: please put the politics to one side and get behind the medical and research community of Australia," he told reporters.

Mr Abbott has said the government's proposed $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund is conditional on savings from the $7 GP co-payment for Medicare services and through savings in health spending.

But the co-payment legislation appears to be destined for failure with Labor, the Australian Greens and the Palmer United Party all refusing to back it.

Mr Abbott said Australia would be able to have a much greater focus on medical research in coming years if the legislation was passed.

"This is about building for the future, it's about playing to our country's strength because our country does have great strength in health and medical research," he said.

He denied claims that the GP fee would force people to access hospital emergency services, saying that had not happened with another medical co-payment scheme, the pharmaceutical benefit scheme.

"You get your drugs for free in hospital - out of hospital you pay the co-payment," Mr Abbott said.

"That hasn't produced a flood of people rushing into emergency departments or if it has, it's something that emergency departments have learned to cope with."