Supporting our rural and regional communities with quality healthcare is a priority for the Rockliff Liberal Government.
Our rural communities are the lifeblood of our regions, and supporting their health and wellbeing is essential to ensure all Tasmanians receive the right care, in the right place and at the right time.
Minister for Health Guy Barnett said Tasmanians living in rural and regional areas face real challenges which is why, in the first three weeks in the role, he has already visited District Hospitals in St Marys, St Helens, New Norfolk, Oatlands, Campbell Town and King Island to listen to our rural health professionals and community members.
"We have all heard stories from constituents who are struggling to gain an appointment with a GP, especially in rural and remote areas of Tasmania," Minister Barnett said.
"As the new Minister for Health, I am committed to working with the Australian Government to improve access to primary health care responsibilities, including access to GPs.
"But the Tasmanian Government is also doing our bit to ensure Tasmanians in rural areas can access the care they need. We are being proactive and delivering innovative ways to support our regions and encourage more GPs to work in rural and regional areas.
"We are doing this through our trial of the Single Employer Model for GP Registrars which encourages training in General Practice and makes it more attractive to doctors when choosing a specialty. It will improve recruitment and keep GPs in their rural communities."
Minister Barnett said that the trial is already delivering results, with the first participants of this program commencing in July this year.
"We have also established the Rural Medical Workforce Centre at the Mersey Community Hospital to support the recruitment and retention of permanent doctors for the region.
"We continue to invest in our District Hospitals and Community Health Centres across the State and our record speaks for itself. We built the new $12 million St Helens Hospital and completed the $10.5 million Stage 2 Redevelopment of King Island Hospital.
"We have upgraded rural Hospital and Community Health Centres and ambulance stations right across Tasmania and invested $5 million for plant and equipment purchases."
Minister Barnett said that people are at the core of our health services which is why the Rockliff Liberal Government has boosted staffing with $3.4 million for our rural hospitals and deployed 42 new paramedics in rural and regional areas.
