Call for more health training to improve rural services

Tasmanians are dying earlier and suffering worse health outcomes because of a lack of access to health professionals, experts warn.

National Health Alliance CEO Mark Diamond, left, Royal Flying Doctor Service of Tasmania CEO John Kirwan and National Rural Health Alliance board chair Tanya Lehmann in the Royal Flying Doctor service simulator. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

TASMANIANS are dying earlier and suffering worse health outcomes because of a lack of access to health professionals in regional areas, warn experts in rural health.

The Rural Health Alliance has called for improved access to doctors and allied health professionals across Tasmania — with a sharp focus on training locals to remain in local positions.

National Rural Health Alliance chair Tanya Lehmann said better training was needed in Tasmania to address a shortage of allied health profess-ionals. She has called for improved funding to allow the University of Tasmania to address the critical skills shortage by creating new courses in allied health, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology.

“Allied health professionals need to train closer to home, which would require an expansion of your degree options,” she said.

Ms Lehmann said a shortage of health workers in regional areas meant people who should be accessing rehabilitation or preventative services were instead becoming more sick and ending up in hospital.

“We know that 20 per cent of the gap in health outcomes for rural people is directly attributable to a lack of workforce in our rural commun-ities,” she said.

More than 1000 experts in rural health are in Hobart this week for the 15th National Rural Health Conference.

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Rural Health Alliance chief executive Mark Diamond said mortality rates were up to 60 per cent higher in remote locations because of a lack of access to health professionals.

He said Hobart was considered a regional population centre, and had less access to GPs and other health workers than larger capital — and training was key to ensuring local workforce supply.

“Being trained in country locations has a profound impact on a new graduate’s willingness to work in a country location,” he said.

Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia chief executive Dr Martin Laverty called on the major political parties to commit to boost funding to rural health.

UTAS School of Health Science head Professor Nuala Byrne said it was currently reviewing its offerings in allied health, including physiotherapy.

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