A Shoalhaven practice principal and long-term advocate for the region's doctor shortage has welcomed a move that will help combat the issue.
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Shoalhaven general practices will now have more options for hiring and a larger pool of doctors to recruit from, following changes to the Distribution Priority Area classification system announced this week.
The change will take place on January 1, 2022, and is expected to make a difference to Shoalhaven patients by improving access to medical professionals.
Shoalhaven Family Medical Centres practice principal Annette Pham, who has been tirelessly lobbying for the change, said it is "the best news that general practice's in rural areas have had in years".
"We have been really short of doctors for a long period of time," she said. "For the last three years, practices in the Shoalhaven have not been allowed to replace doctors who have left."
"We are now allowed to start recruiting again and this is going to have enormous impact on the practices and on the communities they serve."
Ms Pham added that Shoalhaven doctors were at "breaking point" due to challenges presented over the last two years.
"Bushfires and COVID put an enormous strain on practices and our resources," said Ms Pham. "We were at breaking point until this decision came through."
Nowra and surrounds did not previously have DPA status but individual clinics could apply for it under "exceptional circumstances" arrangements that were introduced in September.
From 2022, GPs in the region will now automatically have DPA status, meaning individual clinics can immediately begin recruiting for doctors.
Ms Pham has already began advertising for doctors and said there is room for around 10 new GPs across the four Shoalhaven Family Medical Centre practices.
"We're working with recruitment agencies to try and attract more doctors to the area," she said.
"Patients will hopefully no longer have to wait six weeks to get an appointment with their preferred doctor."
Also a strong advocate for the regional doctor shortage, Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips welcomed the move and said it will help improve health outcomes, especially for the Shoalhaven's growing population.
"It's the difference between having a GP that can go into the local nursing homes. It's the difference between having a local GP that can work in a COVID clinic," she said. "It's a major win."
Currently, only rural and remote (MMM 5-7) communities receive automatic DPA status with other MMM locations which are reviewed annually to see whether the services for the population meet a certain benchmark.
This change gives automatic access to the DPA classification for regional and larger rural towns (MMM 3-4) and makes it easier to recruit more doctors.
Students who 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.
Federal Regional Health Minister Dr David Gillespie said the DPA expansion would mean more regional and rural communities would have access to a GP in the short term.
"More rural and regional areas will be able to utilise the DPA system when recruiting doctors for their region, whether they be those who are wanting to move here from overseas or young doctors who have accepted a place in return for working in a regional area," said Dr Gillespie.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
