The doctor will see you now: State announces biggest-ever intake of 800 med graduates
The largest intake of junior doctors in Queensland history will form the base of an increase in frontline health workers across the state, the premier says.
More than 830 junior doctors are to be deployed across 20 health facilities, aiming to improve access to care in rural, regional and metropolitan hospitals.
āThis is the largest intake ever, so this is fantastic news,ā Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Monday.
āWeāre such a decentralised state and we know how important it is to be able to send these doctors out across Queensland.ā
Another 200 paramedics and emergency medical dispatchers will also be added to the workforce.
This yearās intern numbers are a five per cent increase on the previous year, however the state is not immune to health staff shortages, Health Minister Yvette DāAth said.
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āItās not just doctors, itās nurses and allied health workers, there is a shortage of health workers across the nation and across the globe,ā she said.
Retaining health professionals is proving to be as big an issue as attracting new people to the workforce.
āThatās really critical for us, making sure weāre not burning them out,ā Ms DāAth said.
āHow do we actually improve the work practices of our health workers, so theyāre not burning out and theyāre not leaving us.ā
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A lack of private services in the regions and āGPs closing their doorsā are adding pressure to the public system, the minister said.
āIn my area alone, there is no longer a GP bulk billing,ā she said.
āThat really concerns meā¦we know for a fact not everyone out there can pay $80 up front to do a telehealth appointment to get a script filled.
āIf they stop going to GPs, if they stop getting their scripts filled, they will end with chronic illnesses in our hospital beds.ā
Meanwhile, a locum doctor will on Monday arrive in the central Queensland city of Gladstone to boost maternity services in the region.
Gladstone Hospital has been on maternity bypass since July, which prevented most women in the city of more than 63,000 from giving birth locally unless by elective caesarean.
āTheyāll be meeting with hospital staff tomorrow to work through operationally what date theyāll be able to open up phase two of the maternity services, Ms DāAth said.
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