Regional Health Summit
As your Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health and a proud member of the Nationals, I am dedicated to improving healthcare access and outcomes in rural and regional Australia. The Nationals' policies are designed to address the unique healthcare challenges faced by our communities, including improving healthcare services, reducing wait times, and enhancing health infrastructure. In my capacity as the representative for Mallee, I have spearheaded initiatives such as the Regional Health Workforce Summit to tackle the critical issue of medical professional shortages. This summit brought together key stakeholders to develop actionable solutions for recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals in our region.
Agreed Outcomes from Mildura Summit 1-2 March 2023
- Regulatory frameworks governed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency act as a barrier to access to care in the regions
- The alteration of Distribution Priority Areas has had an immediate and negative impact on General Practitioner distribution in rural and regional Australia
- Incentive frameworks for young Australians must be the forefront of medium to long term efforts to improve the rural health workforce shortage
- Rural generalists across all professions need to be supported to work to their full scope of practice
- Fee for service primary care is an unsustainable funding model for rural and regional care
- Housing availability and quality of accommodation are a barrier to all critical workforces in regions, including healthcare, and requires intervention to address workforce shortages
