A long-established and highly regarded GP on the Coast has warned that recent moves by the Federal Government to alleviate the shortage of doctors will prove largely ineffective.
Last week, the Federal Government rezoned Wyong, Gorokan, Toukley and Budgewoi as a distribution priority area (DPA), meaning that medical practices in the area can now hire overseas-trained doctors to fill staff shortages.
The DPA policy formerly applied to Wyong, Gorokan, Toukley and Budgewoi, but was withdrawn two years ago, which led to what some called “devastating consequences”.
Dr Brad Crannney has lived and worked on the Coast for more than 30 years and owns and operates four medical centres in Toukley, Warnervale and Tuggerah.
He said the rezoning of the DPA on the northern end of the Central Coast was wonderful news but it was limited as it only allowed medical centres to recruit overseas-trained doctors who are already in Australia.
It does not allow surgeries to sponsor visas for doctors living overseas, who are willing to live and work in Australia.
Cranney said it was not a sustainable system.
“In essence we are just taking overseas-trained doctors from other clinics in Australia.
“The main need is for the Government to allow us to recruit overseas trained doctors to fill these vacancies,” he said.
However, recruiting from overseas remains problematic.
“At this stage we would need a Health Work Force Certificate to recruit overseas trained doctors and, based on our zoning, the Central Coast is not eligible,” explained Cranney.
The Health Work Force Certificate was introduced on March 1, 2019 and it facilitates a process whereby Doctors from overseas can be issued work visas.
The Certificate is part of a program run by Visas For GPs.
Cranney said that Coast suburbs such as Lisarow were already suffering because of their ineligibility for a Health Work Force Certificate.
“It is my understanding the Lisarow-Wyoming district, which received DPA status in July 2021, is still struggling to recruit doctors as it is not eligible for the Health Work Force Certificate and can only recruit existing Australian based doctors who require DPA status,” he said.
Visas for GPs outlines on its website the process for attaining a Health Work Force Certificate and encourages all medical centres, GPs and hospitals, regardless of where they are based in Australia, to apply.
Reports suggest there are plenty of Australian-trained GPs and medical practitioners joining the workforce, but their preference is to remain in metropolitan areas instead of making a life on the Coast.
Jillian Power, practice manager of the Central Coast Skin Cancer Clinic, previously explained that most doctors seemed to prefer to stay in Sydney and work.
“They would rather that than travel an hour or 90 minutes up to our area to work,” she said.
Peta Rutherford, CEO of the Rural Doctors Association, said she understood the concerns of Dr Cranney.
“The DPA system is not great policy, but at the moment it is the policy for regional and rural areas, that is until we have a multi-factorial approach for domestic graduates that attracts them to regional areas.
“Until then we will still be reliant on internationally-trained doctors.
“The GP workforce is in crisis in large regional areas and metropolitan pockets too.
“People there are also are waiting for extended times, sometimes up to two weeks before they can be seen,” she said.
Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre CEO Theresa Mason said that the DPA change was very much welcomed.
“With the opening of the international borders we are hopeful that more GPs will migrate to Australia to help fill the many vacancies across the Central Coast.
“We are also hopeful that overseas trained GPs currently residing in Australia will be attracted to the Central Coast and consider a sea change,” she said.
Nicola Riches