February 19, 2009
Gippsland could lose medical staff and it will become more difficult to attract new doctors if the Federal Government goes ahead with recommendations to change the criteria for rural subsidies.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said he has made urgent representations to the Federal Health Minister following recommendations to introduce a distance-based measure for remoteness under the new eligibility rules for rural retention grants.
“Local doctors have expressed to me their grave concerns that, should these recommendations be implemented by the Government, many country practices and hospitals in Gippsland will lose medical personnel,” Mr Chester said.
“Rural doctors have fought for many years for incentives to offset the higher costs of providing services in rural areas and to attract new doctors and medical staff to regional areas.
“Should these recommendations be applied, local doctors have told me there will be an exodus of doctors from Gippsland.”
Mr Chester said changing the criteria for “remoteness” had already left Gippsland unable to access vital rural subsidies for mental health programs.
“We have seen the ramifications of changing rural subsidy criteria already through the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP),” Mr Chester said.
“This has left remote towns in my electorate such as Licola deemed as “inner regional” – just because they share a postcode with Heyfield, which is 50 kilometres away.
“Further, using the example of Heyfield, which is serviced by Sale doctors and nurses – it is actually a one hour return drive to see patients yet staff cannot claim the subsidy required to service “remote” towns.
“The end result is a service that is not viable and could not be offered by Sale medical clinics if not subsidised by their GP service.”
Mr Chester has called on the Federal Health Minister to consider how services have been lost through the MHNIP and implored her not to extend that classification system to other health services.
“Should the Government implement this criteria for rural retention grants, local doctors believe we will lose specialists such as obstetricians, anaesthetists and paediatricians from Gippsland as well as general practitioners.”