The Coalition has successfully pushed for a senate inquiry into rural doctor incentive payments that are draining country towns of GPs not attracting them.
It will also investigate factors limiting the supply and distribution of health services and medical professionals in regional Australia.
Nationals Senator for NSW, Fiona Nash and the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Services and Indigenous Health, Dr Andrew Laming, were instrumental in starting the inquiry with the support of the Shadow Minister for Health, Peter Dutton, and in consultation with the Rural Doctors’ Association of Australia.
“The government currently has a myriad of programs in place to address the attraction and retention of rural medical practitioners in rural Australia,” Senator Nash said.
“One of the programs, the Rural Relocation Incentive Grant (RRIG), uses the Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Areas map (ASGC-RA), the same map used for the criteria for independent youth allowance. This has resulted in a significant anomaly in the inner regional zone where incentive payments are the same for doctors going to small regional towns as they are for large regional centres, thereby negating the incentive for doctors to move to the smaller towns.
“This issue has been highlighted by many rural doctors individually, as well as the Rural Doctors Association of Australia. During the May Senate Estimates hearings the Department of Health and Ageing revealed they had no intention of reviewing the program for at least 12 months. The sector is calling for an immediate review.
“Given the government’s reluctance to have a review, the Coalition set out to hold a senate committee inquiry as soon as possible. There are too many cases of rural communities losing their GP, specialists and other health professionals for it go ignored. Too many rural communities are unable to attract the health professionals they need. The Gillard government, and the Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, have been in denial for too long and cannot ignore it any longer.”
Dr Laming added: “Labor’s geographic classification system is also wreaking havoc with medical student placements which further undermines the supply of rural health workforce.”
Details of the senate inquiry will be released shortly. The Terms of Reference are attached.
The Terms of Reference:
- The factors affecting the supply and distribution of health services and medical professionals in rural areas, with particular reference to:
- The factors limiting the supply of health services and medical, nursing and allied health professionals to small regional communities as compared with major regional and metropolitan centres;
- The effect of the introduction of Medicare Locals on the provision of medical services in rural areas;
- Current incentive programs for recruitment and retention of doctors and dentists, particularly in smaller rural communities, including: a) their role, structure and effectiveness; b) the appropriateness of the delivery model; c) whether the application of the current Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Areas classification scheme ensures appropriate distribution of funds and delivers intended outcomes, and
- Any other related matters.
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