New Ministerial Taskforce to enhance medical staffing, education and training in regional Queensland

A new Ministerial Taskforce has been established to boost medical staffing, education and training in regional Queensland.

Health Minister Stephen told State Parliament today the taskforce would work to deliver sustainable health services to regional Queenslanders.

“Providing sustainable, resilient health services for regional Queenslanders is a key priority for the Bligh Government,” Mr Robertson said.

“Regional centres throughout Queensland are being transformed by strong economic growth and rapidly increasing populations.

“Places like Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay are undoubtedly benefiting from Queensland’s strong economic climate, but they also face a number of significant challenges.

“One of the biggest challenges they face is to attract and retain health workforces to meet the needs of their growing and ageing populations.

“The Bligh Government is committed to helping these communities tackle this challenge head-on.

“That’s why I’m pleased to announce the establishment of a Ministerial Taskforce on enhancing medical staffing, education and training in regional areas.

“The taskforce will build on the excellent work of our first taskforce on education and training that resulted in $145 million in new funding to support medical graduates and increase training places in hospitals throughout Queensland.

“It will provide the Government with advice on ways to enhance medical staffing and provide sustainable medical services at Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay hospitals.

“These hospitals play a key role in the provision of regional specialist services, including 24 hour emergency services in addition to those provided by our major tertiary hospitals in the South East and in Townsville.”

Mr Robertson said a new recruitment drive was needed to staff the improved and expanded regional hospitals being delivered under the Bligh Government’s $10 billion Health Action Plan.

“We need to build a bigger more resilient clinical workforce as the services offered at these regional hospitals grow,” he said.

“Attracting doctors, including surgical specialists, nurses and allied health professionals to work in Queensland is a challenge, given the worldwide shortage in these professions.

“That’s why it’s so important to have a dedicated taskforce which will establish mechanisms to recruit and retain the health professionals needed to staff our regional public hospitals on a sustainable basis.”

Initiatives to increase the role of private medical specialists in the public health system would be considered by the taskforce, Mr Robertson said.

“I’m keen to explore increased involvement from private sector specialists to reinvigorate and improve clinical staff levels at regional hospitals,” he said.

“And as more medical graduates come on stream in the coming years, there will need to be an expansion in specialist training positions.

“The Bligh Government will ensure regional Queensland hospitals are well positioned to train this new generation of future specialists.”

Mr Robertson said the recommendations from the new Ministerial Taskforce, while initially concentrating on five major regional hospitals, would also be applied to other hospitals to ensure its work benefited all of regional Queensland.

MEDIA: Martin Philip 3225 2680 or 0407 675 008