The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) welcomes the Labor party’s pledge to match the Coalition’s commitment of $146 million for programs to attract and retain more doctors in rural and remote Australia.
ACRRM President Dr Sarah Chalmers says the Labor Government’s announcement that it will take action to increase the number of doctors in communities desperate for healthcare solutions, is recognition that rural and remote, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are experiencing disparities in healthcare when compared to their urban counterparts.
“ACRRM has been calling on all political parties to share their vision for improving access to healthcare in rural and remote Australia, and this response from the Labor party is a welcome start,” Dr Chalmers says.
“It demonstrates that access to high-quality healthcare for these communities, where more than one-third of Australians live, is an important election issue.
“Evidence shows that the shortage of doctors who have appropriate skills to deliver high-quality sustainable healthcare has reached crisis levels in communities outside the urban footprint.” Dr Chalmers says.
“The College is advocating for healthcare solutions which will turn around this issue and make Rural Generalist-led care viable in the short and long term.
“We need to not only attract more doctors to live and work outside the urban footprint, but also have incentives and supports to retain them in the communities where they are most needed.
“This includes increasing Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) funding for rural and remote primary care,” Dr Chalmers says.
“We also know that flexible, collaborative approaches which recognise the value of the RG model of practice, provide clear career pathways and opportunities for training and skills development at all career stages, will support healthcare professionals to provide high-quality healthcare.
“The high-level commitments made by the Coalition and Labor parties need to translate to ground-level resourcing in rural towns and remote centres.
“ACRRM is committed to contributing to the rural healthcare solution.
“We offer our experience and expertise to all political parties and jurisdictions to help achieve better health outcomes for our rural, remote, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” Dr Chalmers says.
To view ACRRM’s election priorities, please click here.
ENDS
For further information, please contact communications manager Petrina Smith at p.smith@acrrm.org.au, 0414 820 847 or 1800 223 226.
ABOUT ACRRM
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine is the only College in Australia entirely dedicated to training and supporting rural General Practitioners to serve rural and remote communities.
Our vision is to have the right doctors, in the right places, with the right skills, providing rural and remote people with excellent health care.
For more information, visit acrrm.org.au