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Rural doctor program needs health check
1 May 2008
Incentives to encourage doctors to move to rural and remote areas have failed. A new report has found that while major cities have almost 100 general practitioners per 100,000 people, in remote areas the ratio was less than half that number. Figures from the Health Department show that people in the most remote parts of NSW are worst off with only 25 GPs per 100,000 people while in Western Australia the figure was 35 per 100,000.The existing program is based on population data that is 17 years old, which Health Minister Nicola Roxon slammed as being ridiculously antiquated. Ms Roxon said that an Office of Rural Health would be created within her department to reform the system and develop new strategies.
The Australian, 1/5/2008
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