Some Workforce Recommendations.

There are three groups of doctors that can help us out of this plight.

1. Overseas-trained doctors (OTDs)
2. Australian-trained doctors who are not currently practicing.
3. Future doctors – the medical students still in training.

We need to consider how each of these might help the workforce crisis, as each group has a different perspective and presents a different set of issues.

The most obvious obstruction for most of us seeking to employ a doctor in our practices is the provider number legislation. The provider number legislation was enacted to ‘encourage’ OTDs to work in rural areas, by restricting the allocation of a provider number to those prepared to work in a “District of Workforce Shortage”. There is great reluctance (refusal) to withdraw this legislation for fear that it will worsen the rural workforce crisis. We believe, and hope to demonstrate, that the legislation is, however, causing a net loss of doctors from the system. Anything that causes a net loss of doctors will not help the rural segment at all.

In order to open up the debate, we suggest the following ideas for discussion:

1. A short moratorium (say, 6-12 months) on the provider number restriction, with some other conditions: only Australian residents or citizens who are fully registered and have a demonstrable urban commitment. This could allow an uptake of OTDs into urban practices at risk of closing, without causing an exodus from the bush.

2. A reduction of the time-limit on OTDs obtaining unrestricted provider numbers from ten to three years. Three years seems reasonable to demonstrate a commitment to the country. Three years is short enough to make upskilling not too much of an issue for OTDs who have not found work in Australia for whatever reason. We also suggest that a three-year requirement is less intimidating than a ten-year one - might this increase the number of doctors prepared to consider going to the bush?

If some respite can be found for those of us tired of struggling with the issue, so that our practices can remain open, it might buy some time for the underlying issues to be addressed.

We have specifically considered the rural health issue, the issues of medical student intake and GP training, and the under-utilisation of the home-trained doctor, and will present our ideas in future posts.

We welcome your input: please leave your comments, or alternatively email us via the address in the sidebar.