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The challenge of getting more doctors into rural and regional Australia is not new and medical colleges have been dealing with the issue for decades.<\/p>\n
While the college\u2019s train doctors in medical specialisations, they also play a role in advocating on issues facing their fellows.<\/p>\n
For Dr Michael Clements, rural chair for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, there\u2019s no \u201csingle silver bullet\u201d solution to getting more GPs into rural and regional areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere needs to be a whole health system review in terms of approach,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about looking at ways to offer support like recruiting GPs from rural areas, training them there, exposing junior doctors to these areas, streamlining overseas recruitment, and providing longer consultation rebates.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunities can also work with their GPs. There are some towns where councils have actually funded a site or supported equipment for the practice to help make it more viable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fifteen per cent of GPs prefer to work for larger hospitals as opposed to bulk billing public services, which Dr Clements said is due in part to 2013\u2019s Medicare rebate freeze.<\/p>\n
Alongside advocating for rebate increases, he said the RACGP is doing what it can to support GPs in moving to rural and regional locations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a new committee in place to support our overseas doctors in practicing in remote areas with novel supervision models,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re also working with workforce agencies to find where the gaps are to get them filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is hope. The new Federal Government has made lots of noises promising to invest another billion dollars into general practice with infrastructure grants and $147 million in training for rural generalists.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are good starts but we need to see these promises filled and in the right places.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AT the start of July Ballarat Community Health\u2019s sole Smythesdale-based general practitioner, Dr David Anderson, move to the organisation\u2019s Sebastopol branch. The doctor\u2019s departure from The Well signalled BCH\u2019s decision to close its Smythesdale GP service. With additional sites in Lucas and Wendouree, BCH CEO Sean Duffy said the location wasn\u2019t practical for a single […]<\/p>\n