Member for Robertson Ms Lucy Wicks has spoken in Federal Parliament about the new GPs “delivered” to the Peninsula.
“A total of seven new GPs and registrars have already started working in the region,” Ms Wicks said. She attributed the increase to the Federally-funded Peninsula Workforce Committee, established in 2017. “The Workforce Committee has also reduced the average age of GPs on the Peninsula and ensured that more practices in the area are being accredited to train registrars to help sustain recruitment and retention of health professionals.
“The fact is that since the Coalition Government first identified this long-standing challenge, we’ve delivered $100,000 to the Hunter, New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network working group to tackle both the short-term need and the development of longterm strategies to properly address the shortage of GPs. “Since this funding was first announced last year, a total of seven new GPs and registrars have already started working on the Peninsula, and the working group will continue to work on investing in other workforce initiatives to help solve this challenge in the longer term as well.
“We know that the working group is working effectively, because there are now two new permanent GPs in Umina; one new GP at the Ettalong family medical practice; a reduction in the average age of GPs, from 61 to 58 years; and more practices on the Peninsula are now accredited to train registrars, with four GP registrars on the Peninsula. “That’s a 100 per cent increase from March 2017 but the biggest indicator of the success of this working group is the positive feedback I get from residents on the Peninsula, who can now see a GP more easily than they have been able to in the past. “This is great news for people living on the Peninsula,” she said.
SOURCE: Media release, 18 Jun 2018 Charlotte Bowcock, Office of Lucy Wicks