Bush Summit 2022: Big boost in doctors, nurses for regional NSW
A legion of healthcare workers are headed for regional NSW, with the state government boosting the forces of ‘super nurses’, supercharging rural GP scholarships and improving healthcare housing.
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Regional NSW will get a vital injection of healthcare workers, with the state government doubling the number of “super nurses” and tripling the number of rural doctor scholarships on offer.
Nurses and doctors looking to move to the bush will also find it easier to find a home, with half of the NSW Government’s shared equity property scheme to be reserved for homes in regional areas.
Premier Dominic Perrottet will announce the major rural workforce package at The Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit in Griffith today, declaring access to healthcare “should not be determined by postcode”.
The package, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, will boost the number of rural doctor scholarships from 16 to 48.
Recipients of the scholarships, worth $30,000 over two years, need to work two out of their first three years in a rural hospital.
The number of highly-skilled Nurse Practitioners in regional NSW will be doubled to 200 over four years.
Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses with additional training to diagnose and treat people with acute or chronic illnesses.
There will be 25 extra Nurse Practitioners each year over four years.
“This wide-ranging package focuses on shoring-up our rural workforce into the future, with health workers being front and centre in our plans,” Mr Perrottet told The Telegraph.
“We have a world-class healthcare system and this is about ensuring it reaches every corner of our great state,” he said.
A shared equity trial scheme, first announced in the June budget, will also be reworked to help key workers move to regional towns and centres.
Half of the available places – 1,500 per year – will now be reserved for regional NSW.
The scheme will help nurses, teachers, police, single parents and singles over 50 buy into the housing market with the state government taking an equity share of up to 40 per cent of the property price for new builds.
“This plan will help ensure our regional towns and centres remain vibrant communities where people can access the services and care they need no matter where they live,” Mr Perrottet said.
In a further bid to address the staffing crisis in regional hospitals, Mr Perrottet has also urged the Albanese government to fast track permanent residency pathways for overseas healthcare workers.
He said that “thousands of health professionals” overseas could be filling our hospitals, but many do not want to commit to moving here because they do not know if they will be able to stay long term.
“We will work with the federal government to fast track the key workers our health system needs to meet the immediate gaps here in NSW and around the nation.”
“We want to send a major signal to health professionals overseas that Australia is open and we want them to come out here and work in our regional hospitals,” Mr Perrottet said.
Bathurst surgeon Peter Kilby is raising his family in the country after studying and training in Sydney.
Dr Kilby was among a cohort of regional youth who got a position to study in metropolitan Sydney and chose to return home after graduating.
“Living here has given us opportunities. The kids have opportunities, they’ve learnt to ride … We bought a farm since we are out here.”
Dr Kilby said better incentives could help medical professionals move to and stay in regional NSW.
“Anything to help support doctors moving to the country is welcome,” he said.
“Anything where we can show them how good the rural lifestyle is good,” he said.
However Dr Kilby said Nurse Practitioners should be able to assist in surgery without patients needing to pay the entire fee.
“They should be able to be rebated no different to a doctor’s assistant because they have done the training,” he said.
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