Queensland doctors lose rural housing subsidy
There are fears for the future of health care in remote and rural areas of Queensland after a subsidy doctors have received since 2012 was withdrawn by Queensland Health.
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THE withdrawal of a “carrot incentive” housing subsidy for rural doctors has sparked fears that bush areas will lose their medics and leave Queenslanders without proper health care.
Rural Doctors Association Queensland is in talks with Queensland Health to prevent rural doctors in the Central Queensland HHS ending up homeless when the subsidy they have received since 2012 is withdrawn from December 31 and they have to vacate their homes.
“We are working towards stopping these doctors and their families from being homeless and being forced to move out of the area,” RDAQ president Dr Raymond Lewandowski said. “We are also keen to make sure that incentives to keep doctors in rural areas are maintained throughout the state.”
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Real estate agents in the areas say rental accommodation is practically non-existent.
Dr Lewandowski said destabilisation of the local medical workforce was a real risk should doctors need to move or choose to move as a consequence of this action.
“CQ HHS has been successful in stabilising medical workforce for Emerald over the last four years after the service had been under stress, sometimes to a critical point over the previous decade. RDAQ is concerned that this recent action could lead to similar stressors for the service,” he said.
Housing is commonly offered to support recruitment and retention of doctors and other key clinical personnel in rural and remote communities. The RDAQ says medics are more likely to settle in bush communities when housing is secured.
LNP member for Gregory Lachlan Millar said it was another example of an “out of touch Brisbane solution for a rural Queensland problem”.
“It is already hard enough to get experienced doctors in the bush without Labor making it even harder for doctors and their families to find somewhere to live,” Mr Millar said.
A Queensland Health spokesman said a review of CQ Health’s accommodation arrangements provided to rural generalist doctors revealed they were receiving above award entitlements that were inconsistent with arrangements elsewhere in Queensland.
“No doctors are being forced from their homes, instead plans are already under way to transition leases to the individual doctors so they can maintain these properties under a general tenancy agreement, should they choose to do so.
“While incentives are important to attract and retain medical officers to rural areas, we also need to ensure taxpayer funds are used properly and transparently,” he said.