Regional healthcare worker shortages continue to worsen after a decade of government inaction

It is a perennial problem with very few answers — how to get doctors and other healthcare workers to regional and rural parts of the country.

The problem has been around for a long time but seems to gain little traction in trying to fix it.

“The last of the the National Rural Health strategy was in 2011 and unfortunately, it didn’t get properly implemented,” CEO of the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) Gabrielle O’Kane said.

“If you want to see any sort of change in policy, it does require a political will and I don’t think there’s been enough of a political will to date around really solving rural health care issues.”

The NRHA is calling for a strategy to be funded in the May Federal Budget. 

“What we’re calling for now is an…