Kincumber, Bouddi region gets DPA status to attract GPs

Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, with Saratoga Medical Centre General Manager Claudine Restom, Dr Jaimie Rees and Richard Nankervis and Sandra Howden from the PHN

GP clinics in the Kincumber to Box Head area can now recruit overseas-trained doctors and bonded medical practitioners after a campaign by Saratoga Medical Practice was successful in having the area granted Distribution Priority Area (DPA) status.

Suburbs including Saratoga, Davistown, Kincumber, Bouddi, Bensville, Killcare, Empire Bay, St Huberts Island, Copacabana and surrounds are now classified as DPA following an application to the Federal Government’s “exceptional circumstances” review co-ordinated with help from the Primary Health Network (PHN).

Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, said the successful application from Saratoga Medical means local medical practices in the catchment have more opportunity to address local GP doctor shortages.

“This change gives local GP practices a larger pool of doctors to recruit from, which should make it easier for clinics to secure more doctors in the Kincumber to Box Head region,” Wicks said.

“The DPA classification identifies regions where people find it harder to see a doctor, based on the needs of the community.

“Although the classification is updated each year, several medical practices in this area indicated they had experienced much higher demand during the pandemic period and had found it especially difficult to recruit doctors to the area.”

Wicks said the DPA classification does not guarantee a doctor, but it allows medical practices in DPA catchments to recruit doctors subject to location restrictions, such as those who trained overseas.

Students who have accepted a Commonwealth Supported Place in an Australian medical course in return for a commitment to work in a regional, rural and remote area at the end of their studies must also work in a DPA.

“Having enough doctors is fundamental to any community and that’s even more true when you live or work in a regional area like the Central Coast,” Wicks said.

The Federal Government set up the review process to ensure an area’s DPA status was based on up-to-date information, supported vulnerable patient cohorts and was responsive to significant workforce and population changes.

The Primary Health Network is a federally funded not-for-profit organisation that helps general practices recruit GPs.

“A review for upgrade to a DPA status has to come from a practice, but once they come to us we can help them,” Hunter, New England and Central Coast PHN spokesperson, Rebecca Brennan, said.

“If a practice is successful in having DPA status reviewed, as Saratoga Medical was, the status applies to all practices in the area – in this case, five or six practices.”

Brennan said PHN had also helped recruit 12 new doctors to the Coast through its Sea Change grants – specific grants for doctors coming to the area from out of region.

PHN CEO, Richard Nankervis, said the team was well on the way to achieving a target, set by Wicks, of 20 new GPs in the Robertson electorate by the end of the financial year.

“We have been successful in recruiting doctors from across the country, including from Sydney and regional Victoria,” he said.

Terry Collins