AMA (NSW) says it’s time for action on rural health inquiry

AMA (NSW) is pleased the NSW Government has supported the majority of recommendations made from the rural health inquiry, but it’s now time to act.

“There is a desperate need to address the shortcomings in healthcare access in regional NSW, and the Government’s support of the recommendations made by the rural health inquiry will be critical in achieving that,” said Dr Michael Bonning, AMA (NSW) President.

“This report and the Government response has been two years in the making and in that time, the strain has continued to increase on NSW’s healthcare system and the results of this are demonstrated in the government’s own reporting of performance. Government must act now to address the workforce shortages that are contributing to poorer health outcomes for residents in the bush.

“The State has supported in principle to work with the Commonwealth on a 10-year strategy for Rural and Remote Medical and Health Workforce Recruitment and Retention. The development and implementation of a new strategy will take years to complete. We need direct action with demonstrable results now.

“We also want transparency and accountability from Government on the number of new full-time healthcare workers employed since the Government announced in its June Budget that it would hire 10,000 staff over the next four years. We need to know if those healthcare workers are being employed in key locations where services are at risk,” Dr Bonning said.

“We are pleased that the Government has supported the recommendation for a review of contractual and workforce arrangements for GP VMOs to ensure this model remains viable; however, we would like to see a clear commitment from Government that there will be dedicated funding to support this. There needs to be a similar funding commitment made behind the Government’s support in principle to review the remuneration for travelling trainee doctors.”

Dr Bonning added that while recruitment is important there are tools at the State disposal that could reinforce and strengthen the workforce that currently exists.

“Six months after the floods, health services in Lismore are still trying to rebuild. They have received little to nothing in the way of grant funding from the State and Federal Governments.

“Communities in Northern NSW are at risk of losing these services unless something is done immediately. These services include general practices, specialists’ practices, a pharmacy, dental surgeries – it would be easier to support the healthcare providers who have already invested in creating businesses in the community and built their lives there, than to attract a new medical workforce to this area.

“Another tool the State can leverage to ensure the ongoing viability of healthcare across NSW is to provide a payroll tax exemption for medical practices.

“Revenue NSW forecasted its intention to broaden its application of payroll tax, which could have a devastating impact on general practices. If applied, many practices will be forced to consider closing their doors, while others could increase fees to patients, or discontinue training arrangements with GP registrars.

“Given the current GP shortage and the ongoing difficulty in attracting doctors to this specialty, the payroll tax exemption would be an effective and immediate way in which NSW could address the crisis in primary care,” Dr Bonning said.

Media contact: Andrea Cornish

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