DIFFICULTIES in health workforce attraction and retention across regional Western Australia have been highlighted in a survey of regional local governments.
The Nationals WA conducted the confidential survey to which 75 of 108 regional local governments responded.
Questions including the number and permanence of general practitioners, current or planned incentives and how much it costs ratepayers to have health services in their communities.
Although the specific participating local governments can not be revealed, Farm Weekly was supplied with the following Statewide results by The Nationals WA health spokesman Martin Aldridge.
- Seven respondents said they have been without a GP for more than one year.
- The majority of respondents have at least one GP in their local government area, who is most likely a resident or otherwise is drive- in, drive-out (DIDO) or fly-in, fly-out (FIFO).
- 43 respondents spend up to five per cent of their budget on attraction and retention of their local GP or GPs with the money mainly spent on medical clinics, housing and cars.
- 30 respondents expect to have to offer incentives to attract or retain their GPs within the next two years.
- 47 respondents spend up to $300,000 in direct and indirect contributions to ensure GP services, with some paying up to $400,000.
- 32 respondents were unsure or thought they did not have access to telehealth.
- Nursing, allied health workers and dentists were unlikely to be incentivised for their work.
The independent survey builds upon Statewide work undertaken by Rural Health West and the WA Local Government Association in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic also drawing attention to the availability of GPs in regional areas.
The Nationals WA leader Mia Davies said it was concerning that seven respondents revealed their communities had been without a GP for 12 months or more.
"That situation wouldn't be accepted in the metropolitan area, so it shouldn't be happening in regional WA," Ms Davies said.
"Across the State we found 43 regional local governments were spending up to 5 per cent of their total budgets on doctors, another six were spending up to 10pc and two were spending more than 10pc.
"Telehealth, doctor attraction and retention, primary health worker support and aged care projects were all a feature of Royalties for Regions when The Nationals were in government, but no more with Labor in charge."
Mr Aldridge said the Labor government needed to do more to address the health workforce issues in regional and remote areas.
"We know WA has the lowest per capita Medicare billings, but often a lack of a local doctor also leads to constraints when accessing pharmaceuticals, radiology, pathology and important primary care programs to target chronic disease," Mr Aldridge said.
"The Regional Development Minister gave back $635 million of Royalties for Regions in 2018-19 to Treasury when the fund could have been deployed to help communities who do not have access or do not have sufficient access to GPs."
Responding to the survey results, WA Health Minister Roger Cook said the State lagged the nation in the availability of GPs per head of population, with 77 GPs per 100,000 population compared to a national average of 95 GPs per 100,000.
He said the Federal government was responsible for primary healthcare, including GPs.
"Locally-based general practitioners are vital for community health and social cohesion," Mr Cook said
"As WA Health Minister I can assure all Western Australians I will continue to fight the bureaucrats in Canberra and the Federal government to ensure our State gets a better deal - our fair share of resources in primary healthcare."
The Nationals WA survey results were released prior to the official opening of the $42m Northam Health Campus redevelopment last week.
Part of a $1.5 billion modernisation program overseen by the WA Country Health Service, the redevelopment includes modern operating theatres at double the previous capacity, a refurbished recovery suite, a central sterile services department and a dedicated chemotherapy department.
Mr Cook said the upgrade would enable residents of the Wheatbelt to recover faster by being close to their personal support networks.
