media release

JOINT RELEASE: SENATOR HELEN POLLEY - LABOR SENATOR FOR TASMANIA

DATE 01/07/10

Rural and regional families in Bass are set to benefit from a number of new Australian Government initiatives rolling out on July 1 which offer incentives to attract doctors to the community and keep them here. 

 

Senator Helen Polley and Bass Labor candidate Geoff Lyons said a strong economy and decisive action during the global financial crisis has enabled these important investments, providing a fairer share and more support for rural and regional Australian families.

 

“$134.4 million is being invested to encourage doctors to relocate and stay in rural areas as part of the Australian Government’s Rural Health Workforce Strategy.

 

“We are tackling the health workforce shortages in regional and remote areas across the country by introducing a generous package of financial and non-financial incentives for doctors who relocate to rural areas,” Mr Lyons said.

 

Towns such as Launceston, Hadspen and Legana in Bass are among almost 500 around Australia that will become newly eligible for rural incentive payments.

 

“What this means for GPs in Hadspen, Legana and Launceston is that they will, for the first time, be eligible for retention grants of up to $12,000 a year to encourage them to stay working in the region.” Senator Polley.

 

In addition, city doctors who move to towns such as Legana, Launceston and Hadspen will receive up to $15,000 in relocation payments.

 

The new incentives have been calculated using a new model called the Australian Standard Geographical Classification - Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) to ensure that incentives and rural health policies respond to current population figures and real need. It has been developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and replaces the former government’s antiquated system.

 

“These incentives benefit all residents of Bass by encouraging more doctors to move here, as well as keeping local GPs in the area.

 

“The Government’s approach is ‘the more remote you go, the greater the reward’ to encourage doctors to work in some of Australia’s more remote communities and keep them there. There’s no doubt people living in rural and remote areas will benefit from these new incentives,” said Senator Polley.

 

A number of measures will be scaled to provide a reward for those doctors willing to work in Bass.

 

Overseas trained doctors working in Launceston, Hadspen or Legana who have restrictions on where they can practise will have the opportunity to reduce their 10-year return of service obligation.

 

An important part of the Rural Health Workforce Strategy, is the implementation of locum programs for rural doctors to give them adequate time for rest and professional development. Some locum services have already commenced with many doctors and rural and remote practices already taking advantage of the support provided by these programs.

 

“These initiatives will also help stem the tide of retirements and departures from rural communities,” Geoff Lyons said.

 

“These investments form part of the Australian Government’s commitment to deliver better hospitals and better health outcomes to Australian families, regardless of where they live,” said Senator Polley.

 

“The Australian Government has an ambitious reform agenda because we believe Australian families deserve better health and hospitals. We are determined to deliver the biggest reforms to health since the introduction of Medicare by creating a National Health and Hospital Network,” Geoff Lyons said.

 

Rural health programs will benefit significantly from the Government’s reform plans. The latest Federal budget provides more than $795 million in targeted rural health programs – more than a 65 per cent increase on the last term of the previous government.

 

To further improve health services for communities in rural and remote areas, the Australian Government is delivering:

 

•      1,000 new nursing training places every year and an additional 1,300 GPs qualified or training by 2013

•      Around 23 new GP Superclinics, in addition to the 36 Superclinics previously announced, many in rural and regional Australia

•      137 projects across Australia to provide essential health infrastructure, equipment and service planning for rural and remote communities under the $46 million National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Program (NRRHIP)

“In contrast, the Opposition only plans to cut more than $820 million from the health budget, just as they ripped $1 billion from our hospitals and capped GP training places causing severe doctor shortages in the bush. Mr Abbott is simply too much of a risk to have in charge of our health system,” Senator Polley stated.

 

Further information on incentives in your area available under the Rural Health Workforce Strategy is available at www.doctorconnect.gov.au