IPTAAS increase welcome boost for rural and regional patients
February 8, 2015AMA (NSW) welcomes Government move to ban sale of e-cigarettes to under 18s
February 11, 2015AMA (NSW) President, Dr Saxon Smith, is calling for funding of $30 million over four years to boost doctor numbers in rural and regional NSW.
“AMA (NSW) is calling on both major parties to commit to our plan ahead of the state election in order to increase doctor numbers outside of Sydney,” Dr Smith said.
“The ongoing funding we are calling for would be directed at establishing 60 new specialist positions and 60 new registrar positions across regional NSW.
“Medical graduate numbers have doubled in the last five years as part of a plan to address the severe medical workforce shortages in NSW and Australia.
“We must not waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide an adequate medical workforce in regional NSW.
“The registrar positions are particularly important, as these doctors are still working to become fully qualified GPs and specialists.
“Currently, there are very few training positions based in regional hospitals but we know that doctors who have good experiences training in a particular area are more likely to stay on and build careers there.
“That said, any new regional training positions that would be created should not come at the cost of existing metropolitan ones,” Dr Smith said.
“40 per cent of the NSW population lives outside of Sydney and it is well known that patients from rural and regional areas face higher costs and longer travel times to access medical care.
“We have an ongoing doctor shortage that is felt especially keenly in rural and regional areas and we need to improve access to medical care there,” Dr Smith said.
“The AMA (NSW) plan also calls for state-wide co-ordination and planning to ensure that each regional Local Health District has the funding to build a medical workforce based on long-term need.
“This goes beyond the current status quo of LHDs being funded based on historical requirements. “For this reason, filling existing vacancies in regional hospitals is not enough.
“Regional LHDs need to be able to identify their own medical workforce requirements and be funded appropriately to meet them.
“This would go a long way to encouraging more doctors to practise in regional areas,” Dr Smith said.
Media contact: Lachlan Jones (02) 9902 8113 / 0419 402 955