THE Federal Government's health reforms show promise but the dire shortage of doctors in the bush must be addressed for the proposal to deliver any real benefits.
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) has warned Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that unless the Federal Government's hospital reform package includes "serious measures" to combat the critical shortage of doctors and other health professionals in the bush, it was doomed to fail in rural Australia.
RDAA president Nola Maxfield said it was good to see a move towards the direct funding of hospitals by the Federal Government but unless the rural health workforce shortage was addressed the result would be well-funded Yes Minister hospitals that didn't have any doctors or nurses.
"Without adequate numbers of doctors and other clinical staff on the ground in rural areas, rural hospital services simply cannot be delivered to the extent required, no matter what funding system is established," Dr Maxfield said.
"In short, we need clinicians on seats and lots of them if we are to see the full delivery of benefits from these reforms."
Wyalkatchem shire chief executive officer Peter Kocian said the Federal Government would receive a lot of opposition from the State Government in terms of the Commonwealth taking over State hospitals, but from a local government perspective, the shire was not overly concerned which tier of government became responsible for the Wyalkatchem Koorda District Hospital provided it was appropriately resourced and funded.
"Hospitals have historically been a State Government responsibility and any proposed Commonwealth takeover will need to be considered by the State Government," Mr Kocian said.
"We are just waiting for developments before we can assess which model is best for our community.
"But the lack of doctors and health care workers in the bush is an ongoing issue and the primary priority at the moment."
It costs the State $1.3 million to run the Wyalkatchem Koorda Hospital and Mr Kocian said if the Federal Government's health reforms were passed it would alleviate the pressure off the State in terms of funding hospitals.
Currently rural WA is short of 67 doctors, and the Wyalkatchem Medical Centre, which the Council had been running for just over a year, had to be closed last December due to a shortage of doctors.
"We've been trying to recruit a resident doctor for more than four months now, to no avail," he said.
But Mr Kocian said the Medical Centre had recently been taken over by the Wheatbelt GP Network and would reopen next week with a locum doctor due to work for three months.
In the proposal, the Federal Government would take on 60 per cent of public hospitals' funding by taking 30pc of the GST revenue paid to states and directing the money to local hospital networks, managing between one and four hospitals each.
The government will also take full financial and policy responsibility for GP and primary care services.
The National Health and Hospitals network will be funded and run nationally.
These reforms represent the biggest changes to Australia's health and hospital system since the introduction of Medicare, and one of the most significant reforms to the federation in its history.
The reforms will be put to the states and territories at the COAG meeting to be held in Canberra on April 11.
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