Fed: Conference to lure health specialists to the bush

00-00-0000
Fed: Conference to lure health specialists to the bush

CANBERRA, Aug 28 AAP - Doctors, nurses and specialists from rural and remote areaswill come together this week to brainstorm ways of luring health specialists to the bush.

Federal government figures show an improvement in the number of doctors in rural areasbut Rural Doctors Association of Australia president Ken Mackey said the doctor shortagewas not improving.

"At the coalface the doctors that are working there are saying that there hasn't beenany increase in the number of doctors and that applies especially to nursing staff andalso the specialists," he said on ABC radio.

Dr Mackey said while most small towns in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australiahave GPs, few have enough.

He said this week's conference in Sydney will work on ways to attract health specialiststo rural areas.

Dr Mackey said many GPs were attracted to a small town if it boasted a hospital.

"That's one of the attractions for getting GPS into rural areas, that there is a well-functioninghospital," he said.

"They are at the moment attractions for GPs into rural areas but there are greaterproblems, especially with the indemnity which is putting some people off.

"The problem is the total number of doctors, there may be a GP in a town (but) townsthat may need four of five GPs might only have two or three.

"That's the problem, that there is a lack of GPs and there's a lack of replacements."

Dr Mackey said flexibility was needed to attract doctors to the bush and more governmentfunding would help the cause.

"I don't think that there are any firm agreements to come out of this conference," he said.

"The important thing is all these different health specialities coming together andsaying we can work together, how are we going to work together."

AAP sm/ph

KEYWORD: HEALTH