The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry report into health outcomes in rural, regional, and remote communities but warned that action is also needed at the federal level to ensure the future of general practice care in the bush.
The Legislative Council's report "Health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote New South Wales" calls for a fundamental re-think of healthcare outside of major cities across the state.
RACGP President Adj. Professor Karen Price said the report was a positive step forward but warned that action at a federal level was also desperately needed.
"This report is long overdue because for too long healthcare in our rural, regional and remote communities has been overlooked," she said.
"As the college that represents four-out-of-five rural GPs, the most of any organisation in Australia, the RACGP welcomes the focus on investment in rural, regional, and remote healthcare. In particular, I welcome the report's focus on recruiting and, just as importantly, retaining GPs in rural, regional, and remote areas. The report should also be applauded for recommending the Government investigates incentives and new health infrastructure to attract more doctors to communities outside of major cities.
"We can't just encourage action at the state and territory level though, we need a nation approach that gives rural, regional, and remote general practice a shot in the arm. Just a few months ago, the Community Affairs References Committee
