BORDER communities including Benalla, Corowa, Rutherglen, Yarrawonga-Mulwala and Beechworth may benefit from changes to the program that woos doctors to the country.
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Gone is the existing system encouraging doctors to stay in large regional cities.
In its place are incentives to encourage GPs to work in towns of less than 5000; with the money offered increasing from $18,000 to $23,000.
Previously the system introduced in 2010 had provided money to encourage doctors to 14 larger regional cities.
But Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash says it’s time to redirect that money to bring doctors to smaller towns that have experienced difficulty in attracting and retaining doctors.
Senator Nash says the greatest shortages are now in small rural and remote communities rather than big regional cities and it makes sense to use that money in those areas. But the changes will mean the GP rural incentive payment will no longer be available to doctors working in 14 large regional cities with a population of more than 50,000.
That may force changes for some GPs but ultimately it will better serve our smaller towns.
