Government orders health department to allow rural generalists to work across state’s hospitals

Mere days after a doctor called on health authorities to allow rural generalists to work across GP clinics and hospitals, Jeremy Rockliff has taken action. Here’s how.

Craig Herbert editor The Mercury and Jeremy Rockliff premier. The Mercury Bush Summit in Launceston. Picture: Rob Burnett

Hearing a doctor speak about how Tasmania’s restrictions on rural generalists are impacting the state’s health system has triggered Premier Jeremy Rockliff to take action.

During The Mercury Bush Summit, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine Regional Director of Training Sally Street spoke about GPs having to fly interstate for shifts because a health policy prevents them from using their skills in Tasmanian hospitals.

She appealed to health authorities to change the rules so that rural generalists could work in both primary and secondary care in Tasmania.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Commission of inquiry committee hearing. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

It appears that her calls have been answered by Mr Rockliff, who was in the audience at the Bush Summit when Dr Street spoke about the issue.

“The government has directed the department to allow qualified rural generalists to provide services in our major hospitals, where there are gaps and where they can assist in providing care for Tasmanians sooner,” the Premier said.

“We will also seek to utilise rural generalists in our District Hospitals, noting surgeries are currently not performed in these facilities.

“We support this work and have asked for it to be progressed as a priority.”

After the Bush Summit, Mercury Editor Craig Herbert released a communique that included a call for the state government and health services to formally recognise rural GP generalists to allow them to work in primary and secondary care in Tasmania.

Doctor Sally Street regional director of training Tas ACRRM. The Mercury Bush Summit in Launceston. Picture: Rob Burnett

Following Mr Rockliff’s comments, Dr Street said she was thankful for the Premier deciding to utilise rural generalists to their full capacity within the state’s health system.

“I think this will have an absolutely enormous benefit to the rural, remote and First Nations communities in Tasmania,” she said.

“This will ensure the rural doctors that we have here, and that want to come here – or that want to stop flying in and out of here – are actually able to add their maximum value to those communities.

“It’s wonderful news that we’re going to provide all of the care that we know our patients need within our own communities and not have to try and provide that care to other communities elsewhere in the country.”

Dr Street said that the policy change would allow Tasmanian initiatives, such as expanding rural generalist training and other investments in regional health care, to reach their maximum potential.

“I feel like now that we’ve got this ability for our doctors to have a job at the end, to have a place within the workforce alongside all the other doctors who are providing great care.

“It will mean that we’ll be able to pull all of these initiatives together and then be able to work towards end goals for our doctors at the end so that we’re not wasting all of these initiatives where we are investing heavily in the training of the doctors only with them to have nowhere to work at the end.”