Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Anne Webster says while the Federal Labor Government’s announcements to improve healthcare offer some hope, they fail to target the desperate need in regional Australia.

“While accepting and supporting the efforts to improve healthcare in primary care settings and aged care facilities, I am cynical that the proposed changes by the Labor Government will achieve any sustainable improvement for people who live in regional communities,” Dr Webster said.

“There is not one policy which addresses the severe shortage of GP’s in regional communities, nor the maldistribution of GP’s due to the Labor Government’s expansion of the Distribution Priority Areas.

“The Minister has not acknowledged or addressed the desperate workforce shortages in rural communities and offers no solutions.”

Dr Webster said Health Minister Mark Butler’s announcement the Government will fund the administration of 6000 nurses into primary care placements failed to appreciate the reality facing the health workforce sector and the lack of nurses to fill these positions as well as the issues it creates for the clinics themselves.

“On one hand Butler says he will fund the administration of 6000 nurses into primary care placements, while not understanding the time and supervision these placements require for general practice clinics,” Dr Webster said.

“As it stands registrar and medical student placements create a significant amount of additional work for GP’s who supervise, and there is little financial incentive for them to do so.   Adding 6000 nurses to be supervised by general practices will create additional work and slow down already overworked practices. And where will these nurses come from?’

Dr Webster said the Government’s aged care funding to incentivise doctors to visit aged care residences was welcome, but stressed regional GPs were already working to full capacity as it stands.

“In regional towns doctors are working to full capacity now, the failure to visit aged care facilities is because they have no time to do so,” she said.

“What is the Minister doing to address the shortage of doctors in the regions? Not one policy addresses the lack of regional university places for doctors and allied health to train in the regions. This is extremely disappointing given research shows clearly that those that train in the regions, tend to stay in the regions.”

Labor state they will address and improve access to primary care after hours and that service gaps in regional areas will be addressed.

“How? Where is the policy detail?” Dr Webster asked.

The regional MP says while the My Medicare proposal looks good on paper, and a formal relationship with a single practice is a good concept for continuity of care: “In many regional towns there is no GP practice taking new patients.  How do these policies address this fundamental flaw?’

“I support the increasing of Workforce Incentive Payments, but where is the workforce policy for regional areas?  Not one of Minister Butler’s policy proposals address this elephant in the room,” Dr Webster said.

“There is not one idea that identifies solutions to this serious issue that is the bedrock for equitable access to better healthcare for all Australians, wherever they live.”