Qld govt axes $70k incentive for regional health workers

The Australian Medical Association Queensland has slammed the state government for axing cash incentives to lure health workers to regional Queensland instead of expanding the program.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls in Question Time on Tuesday.

Incentives worth up to $70,000 luring Queensland Health workers to remote and vacant roles have been axed by the state government.

Queensland Health staff were told the Workforce Attraction Incentive Scheme would be cut from January 1 as the government realigns its workforce strategy to programs offering better value for money.

The scheme was launched on July 1 last year to address critical shortages of doctors and clinicians by offering interstate or international health workers who work in Queensland for 12 months up to $20,000 to work in the southeast or $70,000 to work in regional Queensland.

However the cash incentives will be axed for new employees from January 1, but not affect existing workers.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the $40m program was announced by Labor without any budget allocation.

“WAIS did not achieve the intended workforce outcomes to either grow the clinician workforce or discourage clinicians leaving,” he said.

“Instead, what happened was a redistribution of the existing clinician workforce – no growth in workforce numbers because of the scheme.”

Mr Nicholls said if the scheme was to continue to December 2026, there would be a projected overexpenditure of $165.8m.

AMAQ president Dr Nick Yim

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Nick Yim said the scheme had been a great initiative supported by the peak medical body.

“We have called for it to be expanded, not axed,” he said.

“We have a global health workforce shortage and Queensland must be competitive in their recruitment strategy.

“It is a big task to find the workforce needed in regional Queensland.

“Until we are training enough doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners in Queensland, we will rely on recruiting from interstate and overseas.

“The LNP made it clear before the election that they recognised workforce was the No.1 issue facing our healthcare system.”

Mr Nicholls said Queensland Health had been asked by the former state government to absorb the cost of the program.

“They said open your wallet and use what’s in there. There is nothing in the wallet. It has all gone,” he said.

Mr Nicholls said 1950 healthcare workers received a Workforce Attraction Incentive Scheme payment across 16 hospital and health services at a cost of $33.3m.

He noted the percentage of Queensland Health staff working in rural and remote areas had gone backwards, from 12.24 per cent in June 2014 to 9.7 per cent in September 2024.