Federal Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey has spoken in Parliament to call on Health Minister Mark Butler to address the chronic doctor crisis in regional Australia.
Mr Ramsey highlighted the devastating news that two doctors working in Cleve have announced they are leaving.
“If Eyre Peninsula loses these doctors it leaves more than 7000 patients across an area including five major towns with just one permanent resident doctor,” he said. “Our services are being propped up with super expensive locum services and the impairment of long-term doctor/patient relationships is highly damaging. This is a serious crisis.”
“In 2019 former Health Minister Greg Hunt visited the Eyre Peninsula at my request, in an effort to curb the drain of health professionals.
“The Minister committed $300,000 to assist the Northern Eyre Peninsula Health Alliance (NEPHA) to develop a GP workforce strategy to help attract and retain health professionals in the region.
“That report required inputs by both the State and Federal Governments and unfortunately the two elections in the first half of the year interrupted its delivery. Mr Hunt praised the report saying it was one of the best pieces of work he had seen by local community focused on addressing its own problems.
“Soon after the election I sent a copy to the incoming minister Mark Butler and requested he meet with the group. I have repeated that request on a number of occasions. I am extremely disappointed that, as yet, six month into the job, Minister Butler still has not met with them nor responded to the report.
“Labor’s effective scrapping of the policy preferencing placement of overseas trained doctors (OTD) into rural areas of shortage by extending the benefits to the suburbs of our capital cities has made it even more difficult for rural areas to find doctors.”
Mr Ramsey named a long list of supports Governments had put into place over the years to equip, attract and place GP’s in regional areas. “But the situation is getting worse,” he said in his speech.
“Clearly something more needs to be done and I have offered suggestions as to what I think would work, but regardless, we have a problem and it is undermining the viability of our country communities. The doctor shortage is hindering growth in rural and regional areas and deters people from moving, retiring or even remaining there.
“I call on Minister Butler to meet with the Northern Eyre Peninsula Health Alliance and at least discuss this report.
“Regional Australia is facing a health crisis and the Minister must act”
Media Contact: Leonie Lloyd-Smith 02 6277 4967
November 28 2022