Proposed hub to help GP shortage

FEDERAL funding is being sought by Bendigo Community Health Services with the aim of building an international medical employment, training and supervision hub in Bendigo.

It is hoped the hub would help address GP shortages across regional Victoria and would be a “short to medium” term solution rather than the long-term solution of other plans often put forward.

BCHS, executive leader better health, Graem Kelly said the proposal would allow more international medical students gain access to regional areas and help with GP shortages in those regions.

“The proposal is to set up a greater intense support system with supervision and facilities to allow international medical graduates to transfer into rural communities,” he said.

“The international medical graduate training hub would be seeking to address the significant shortfall of GPs and access to GPs across Victoria.”

Mr Kelly said the training hub would see up to 12 student doctors trained in Bendigo, before being able to move out to other regional areas, and another cohort then coming in for training.

“The first 12 months would be very Bendigo centric as they first flow through,” he said.

“But as they flow on, they would move to other rural communities and through their experience understand what they are to face when they go out to the rural communities.”

The amount of funding needed is in the “significant millions” of dollars but would be well worth the investment Mr Kelly said.

“It’s a significant investment and a significant opportunity to address a lot of the weaknesses currently existing in the Bendigo Health system,” he said. “But it will deliver.”