Retaining our remote GPs amid staff shortages

The answer to the Far North doctor shortage could only be a few weeks away with an imminent decision from the federal Health Minister set to alleviate the situation.

THE answer to the Far North doctor shortage could only be a few weeks away with an imminent decision from the federal Health Minister set to alleviate the situation.

Shortages of doctors has plagued the greater Cairns region as local medical centres buckle under the pressures of Covid, increased patient demand and closures.

Staff are turning away in some areas and some practices have closed as wait times for appointments rise to 4.75 days.

Member for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch said the federal government’s Distribution Priority Access (DPA) scheme was available to Cairns medical practices under exceptions.

Bridget Fallon (medical student).Picture:Rob Leeson.

The DPA identifies areas around Australia that have shortages of GPs to then open them up to a wider pool of national and international workers.

Mr Entsch said GPs and their practices had to apply under the scheme.

“Only three applications have been put up,” he said.

Mr Entsch said only one practice needs to be approved for the entire Cairns and Hinterland catchment to be considered a DPA.

He believes the minister’s department will be providing a recommendation in the next fortnight after the distribution working group considers it next week.

In the long term Mr Entsch said the solution lay with the retention of remote doctors and greater investment into James Cook University.

The federal government has allocated $60m to JCU for the purposes of constructing a medical hospital attached to Cairns Hospital.

“JCU is second to no one in the retention of regional trained doctors in the area,” he said.

Clinician at the Cairns Skin Cancer Clinic Dr Vin Rajeswaran believes accessing the federal government’s 10-year Moratorium program would be another solution.

It requires overseas trained doctors to work in a priority area for 10 years.

“The moratorium is to protect the local graduates and encourage doctors to work in remote areas,” Dr Rajeswaran said.

He believes the problem was that demand for GP services has increased dramatically from population growth in the Cairns region and this has been worsened by the effects of Covid.

“The medical infrastructure isn’t increasing in size to cope with the demand,” he said.

On Thursday the Cairns Post revealed the average wait time among Far North GP practices was 4.75 days with some patients forced to cool their heels for 20 days.

Originally published as Retaining our remote GPs amid staff shortages