Incentives to boost regional health workforce
A $70,000 incentive to interstate and overseas doctors and healthcare workers to relocate to regional Queensland has been extended to GPs and other private specialists following AMA Queensland advocacy.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has listened to AMA Queensland calls to offer financial incentives to GPs and other private specialists to relocate from overseas and interstate to regional Queensland.
“The decision to expand the eligibility for this scheme to junior doctors, visiting medical officers and GPs is a sensible change that will help address workforce shortages and maldistribution across our state,” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said.
“We commend Minister Fentiman for looking at the evidence provided and acting on it. The existing scheme was a good start but we urged Minister Fentiman to expand it to GPs and other private practitioners as part of a true statewide health workforce employment strategy.
“We also commend the Minister for expanding from 20 to 50 the number of GPs who will be funded to train as GP Obstetricians or GP Anaesthetists.
“This is a $2 million investment in our workforce that will help keep rural and regional maternity units open so all families have access to safe and local care.
“We will provide feedback from our members on the trial of the Single Employer Model for GP registrars, which is aimed at giving trainee GPs the pay, leave, benefits and job security enjoyed by their non-GP specialist colleagues during their training. This is an innovative approach that has the potential to recruit more medical graduates into general practice training.
“The Minister has recognised the crucial role that our GPs have in the healthcare system and has acted to support them and primary care in general.
“We will need another 45,000 healthcare workers in Queensland over the next decade.
“The youth recruitment campaign is a welcome move to attract a new generation of healthcare workers. With a global shortage of 10 million healthcare workers by 2030, we must build our own workforce rather than rely on attracting workers from overseas.
“We also must ensure that overseas and interstate recruits are supported to settle in to regional Queensland, and look after the dedicated and hardworking staff already there.
“We welcome the initiatives to support and retain our current healthcare workers who do an amazing job day in day out.”
