Council seeks action to address critical GP shortage

November 20, 2020

Gunnedah Shire Council has voted unanimously to engage the NSW Rural Doctors Network to look at solutions to the Shire’s critical general practitioner shortage.

Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the Shire was at a historically low level of general practitioners, at a ratio of approximately one general practitioner to 3000 residents. That is believed to be one of the highest ratios in the Hunter New England Health area.

“While responsibility for health services rests with the State and Federal governments, we cannot sit by and watch the level of concern this issue is causing our community,” Cr Chaffey said.

“I have received numerous representations from residents in our community expressing a great level of distress with the inability to gain an appointment to see a Gunnedah-based general practitioner.

“The implications of this shortfall are enormous. Not only is great pressure being placed on the dedicated practitioners we do have, but preventative check-ups are not happening and people are being forced to travel to see a doctor which is impacting on those practices. It is causing stress on people’s health, families and jobs, and is a handbrake to attracting new people to our otherwise very progressive economy.

“It makes sense to find solutions with the people who best understand the problem – and that is health professionals. The NSW Rural Doctors Network can work with our local health professionals to look at short, medium and long-term approaches to our situation.”

Council voted to engage NSW Rural Doctors Network, at no cost, to:

Collaborate with Gunnedah Shire Council, Hunter New England Health and other key stakeholders to identify a short, medium and long term approach to address General Practitioner shortages within Gunnedah Shire; Consult with representatives from the Barber Street Medical Practice, Northwest Family Medical Centre, and the community of Gunnedah Shire; Deliver to Council a Strategy which will list actions to address identified issues that will include but is not limited to a General Practitioner attraction and retention strategy for Gunnedah, and which Council can utilise to advocate through local State and Federal members to their respective governments to achieve the identified outcomes.

As part of these deliberations, Council voted to update and exhibit the Gunnedah Shire Council Medical Professionals Support Policy to include the provision of accommodation for doctors through subsidised rental accommodation.

Gunnedah Shire Council has also endorsed a submission to the NSW Government’s inquiry into health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote

Council’s submission outlines concerns with the shortage of general practitioners.

“Local GPs are effectively running a crisis medical service and preventative practice is non-existent,” the submission says.

“Those lucky enough to get an appointment with a local GP face long waits and appointments are significantly delayed or not sought until a health complaint has escalated to a critical level. The concept of an annual health check-up with a local GP is a luxury that is simply not attainable for many local people. The complete lack of preventative care has a compounding effect, creating further demand on local services and in turn further escalating an increasingly desperate situation.

“Undoubtedly, this will lead to a continuation of the ongoing decline in local health outcomes when compared against a metropolitan population and it may be many years before the full extent of this problem is apparent in health statistics.”

ENDS

Media contact: Communications Team (02) 6740 2100.