Federal and NSW Governments tackling rural health together

In an Australian first, senior politicians, officials and experts will meet in Wagga Wagga in the NSW Riverina on Friday to tackle regional workforce challenges and mental health issues.

The bilateral forum will bring together the two levels of government with responsibility for training and recruiting regional doctors and operating and recruiting staff for public hospitals.

The new initiative of the Federal and NSW Governments puts regional and rural health front and centre.

Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Riverina Michael McCormack, Minister for Regional Services Mark Coulton, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, NSW Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor and NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Natasha Maclaren-Jones are attending the forum.

Mr McCormack said the Federal and NSW Governments will put their minds and resources together to make sure every dollar invested in the country counts for the people who live and work there.

"Regional and rural communities across Australia face ongoing challenges such as remoteness and workforce attraction, coupled with the drought and bush fires affecting much of the country, including large areas of NSW, focus on the bush has never been more important," Mr McCormack said."

"The Federal and NSW Governments will identify ways to work better together to help people in rural and regional Australia and we'll examine the progress of other Government initiatives such as the Murray Darling Medical Schools Network."

Minister Coulton said the Federal Government is focussed on delivering more GPs to the regions and delivered a range of initiatives in the 2019-20 budget, including $62.2 million over four years to commence the first stage of the National Rural Generalist Pathway.

"The pathway will bridge a gap by integrating rural training for General Practice, with additional specialist skills needed in smaller rural and remote communities into a single training program to provide certainty and make it easier for trainees to choose rural generalism when considering their career options," Mr Coulton said.

"A key aspect of the Pathway is an integrated primary care model and I commend the local model developed in the Murrumbidgee region which I look forward to discussing at the bilateral forum. The Federal Government is supportive of delivering a model that is flexible, meets the local needs of rural communities and can be rolled out nationally."

Mr Hazzard said the forum would put the health needs of people in regional and rural NSW front and centre of the Commonwealth and State's priorities.

 "With the devastating bushfires and crippling drought affecting the health of farmers, families and communities, this forum is our chance to work with the Federal Government to boost our regional health workforce and mental health services. 

"We will also look at how we can maximise use of innovative technology to work together as one health system to improve health outcomes in the bush."

Mrs Taylor said the resilience of people in regional communities is well known, but the current conditions are causing significant distress.

"Access to mental health services is never more essential than in times of trauma and hardship – with communities losing their loved ones and livelihoods to drought and bushfires," Mrs Taylor said.

"We'll be looking at how both levels of government can better support those in need, now and into the future."

Representatives from NSW Local Health District and Primary Health Network Chief Executives, the Rural Doctors Network, the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council, the National Rural Health Commissioner, and senior leaders in the NSW Ministry of Health and Commonwealth Department of Health are attending the forum.