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AMA to meet with Ballarat doctors
21 July 2008
AMA Victoria will meet with Ballarat doctors tomorrow (Tuesday) to hear their concerns and discuss the local impact of Victoria’s medical workforce crisis.
“Ballarat is experiencing one of the worst GP shortages in the state, with just one general practitioner to 1450-to-1599 people,” said AMA Victoria President Dr Doug Travis. “This causes significant stress on local GPs, particularly when they are required for after-hours services and to be on-call for lengthy periods.”
“Medical workforce shortages remain high on AMA Victoria’s agenda and we have renewed our calls for the Brumby Government to inject $116.5 million over four years as a rural medical workforce rescue package.”
The rescue package recommends various incentives for doctors to work and stay in rural and regional Victoria, such as relocation allowances and locum support services.
Also on the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting is the Ministerial Review of Victorian Public Health Medical Staff, a State Government report which notes Victoria’s hospitals are “under significant stress with low morale”.
“The report shows we need to make significant improvements to Victorian public hospitals to retain the state’s medical workforce and attract new doctors.”
Dr Travis said Ballarat doctors play an important role in shaping AMA Victoria’s rural and regional health initiatives. “We look forward to the input of local doctors at tomorrow’s meeting and outlining AMA’s role in helping to address the medical workforce crisis,” he said.
Tomorrow’s doctors’ meeting will feature keynote speaker Paul Clempson from the Ballarat Return to Work Project. Mr Clempson will present his research the roles of the medical profession and the community in helping injured workers return to work.
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