BEG, borrow and lure, rural communities across the State are going to extreme lengths for access to medical help.
The Bourke township is hopeful a $20,000 finders fee will land them a permanent GP, while Cooolah’s outgoing GP spent four years finding a part-time replacement.
The town of Denman has for three years sought the services of a visiting medical officer (VMO).
It is but the latest chapter in a long-running saga, according to VMO steering committee chairman David Roe, who works in motor vehicle spare parts.
“We had to fight to save the Denman emergency department 23 years ago,” he said.
That was upgraded into a multi-purpose service (MPS) but has not been used to its fullest capacity in three years without the VMO.
The Upper Hunter community counts a population of 3500 and just one over-subscribed GP.
Even if people have the means to travel 26 kilometres into Muswellbrook it better not be a surprise illness, Denman residents glibly remark.
The community scraped together the funds to advertise for a VMO when there were no funds forthcoming.
The only applicants were foreign doctors – good enough Denman has said – not skilled enough according to Hunter New England Health (HNEH).
Such a medical officer would require supervision that is not available in Denman.
By comparison Muswellbrook has an abundance of supervisors.
VMO steering committee secretary Tracey Ward said, “saying Muswellbrook is too far in an emergency is honestly a farce.
“Our closest ambulance station is Muswellbrook and they can apparently get here in 10 minutes if need be.”
HNEH defended the situation.
HNEH acting general manager, Upper Hunter cluster Judy Bernasconi, said it had worked with the community of Denman and the Hunter Rural Division of General Practice to recruit a doctor to the Emergency Department, Primary Care Services and care for aged care residents at Denman MPS.
“During this time (three years) we supported the committee’s efforts to attract a doctor via the Rural Doctors’ Network, because past experience has shown us this is an effective way to recruit to rural medical positions,” she said.
“These efforts have not been successful over an extensive period of time.
“This was because interested doctors either decided not to accept the position, or HNE Health was unable to offer a position because they were not suitable applicants.”
HNEH is expected to announce the appointment of a part-time GP on loan from a Muswellbrook practice, as part of a different tact in the coming weeks.
“The recruitment efforts will refocus on recruiting a second general practitioner to the Denman area,” Ms Bernasconi said.
“This GP would be able to provide care to the aged care residents at Denman MPS and primary care to the Denman community from the Denman multi-purpose service.”
The state of rural health services is the subject of a Senate inquiry.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has this month made an extensive submission to the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee Inquiry into the factors affecting the supply of health services and medical professionals in rural areas, setting out viable strategies to improve access to health care for people living in rural and remote Australia.
AMA president Dr Steve Hambleton said a broad practical plan that incorporated clever thinking and local solutions was needed to attract doctors to rural practice and keep them in local communities for the long term.
Dr Hambleton said there was a nationwide shortage of doctors, but rural and remote areas shouldered a disproportionate workforce shortage burden.
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