The Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA) board has thrown its support behind what it says is a “pragmatic and practical” new plan for rural health in NSW.
CMA Chairman, Rick Firman OAM said the ‘Better Care, Closer to Home’ Alliance’s Rural Health Action Plan, as proposed by Member for Wagga Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, aligns with the key priorities and concerns of CMA Members and their communities.
“We have written to Minister for Regional Health, the Hon Ryan Park MP to commend the practicalities and affordability of the Plan’s reforms to him,” Chair Firman said.
“I understand Dr McGirr has put the plan to Minister Park in writing and they have had an initial discussion about it. I’m confident
that constructive discourse will continue.
“People in rural and regional health services work hard and do the best they can but there’s no denying the system is crook and band-aid solutions are increasingly costly and short-term, like the locum situation.”
Chair Firman said greater collaboration between all aspects of the health sector, including allied health service providers, was needed.
“The CMA motto is ‘what we want is nothing more than equity’ and that extends to access to critical health services. While we appreciate that there are currently parts of Sydney facing a shortage of doctors, we believe this is not as serious an access or equity issue as a rural mother-to-be having to drive more than 100 kms to reach a hospital with obstetric services.”
“The CMA believes the Rural Health Action Plan is practical and promotes collaboration. We acknowledge that treatment and health access can involve a range of contemporary approaches, including pharmacy and nurse practitioners. However, these should help lighten an unsustainable load for a rural GP, not replace them. If there is one GP in a town, the days of demanding 24/7 access to them all year round is unsustainable and consequently retention becomes a bigger problem than recruitment.”
The CMA recently partnered with the Rural Doctors Network (RDN) on a Health Access Survey. The Survey sought to obtain perspectives on health access from CMA Member Councils. More than two-thirds of members responded.
“We are currently collating those responses to form a picture of service provision and interaction in remote, rural and regional NSW,” Chair Firman said.
“It is our understanding that this is the first time in Australia that a survey of this nature has been undertaken. The CMA will use the results to determine future advocacy activities while the RDN will utilise the results to inform its strategic direction and project planning.”
He said the CMA Board supports all aspects of the Rural Health Action Plan, with the exception of its call for an independent commissioner, which was not considered necessary by the Board.
