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.
Since 2020, overseas graduates have represented around 45 per cent of all GPs in Australia and over 50 per cent of GPs have attained their medical degree overseas. (File image)
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.
“This is the largest intake ever, so this is fantastic news,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Monday.
“We’re such a decentralised state and we know how important it is to be able to send these doctors out across Queensland.”
Another 200 paramedics and emergency medical dispatchers will also be added to the workforce.
This year’s 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 D’Ath said.
“It’s not just doctors, it’s nurses and allied health workers, there is a shortage of health workers across the nation and across the globe,” she said.
Retaining health professionals is proving to be as big an issue as attracting new people to the workforce.
“That’s really critical for us, making sure we’re not burning them out,” Ms D’Ath said.
“How do we actually improve the work practices of our health workers, so they’re not burning out and they’re not leaving us.”
A lack of private services in the regions and “GPs closing their doors” are adding pressure to the public system, the minister said.
“In my area alone, there is no longer a GP bulk billing,” she said.
“That really concerns me…we know for a fact not everyone out there can pay $80 up front to do a telehealth appointment to get a script filled.
“If they stop going to GPs, if they stop getting their scripts filled, they will end with chronic illnesses in our hospital beds.”
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.
“They’ll be meeting with hospital staff tomorrow to work through operationally what date they’ll be able to open up phase two of the maternity services, Ms D’Ath said.
