By Oliver Lees
Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health (SCCH) has called for greater support of the healthcare sector in the region.
SCCH chief executive officer Phillip Ripper said there is a need for more qualified allied health professionals to meet the demand of the growing population in Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges.
“Attracting staff with suitable qualifications and experience to the outer suburbs and regions has been incredibly difficult, which has led to increases in waitlists and can lead to a deterioration in clients’ conditions.” Mr Ripper said.
“Clients accessing publicly funded services and those with home care packages and national disability insurance scheme plans often have complex needs and require experienced staff to manage their care.
“There is [also] a particular need for more mental health nurses.”
Last month federal Labor initiated a senate inquiry into problems of access to healthcare in outer suburban, rural and regional communities.
McEwen MP Rob Mitchell told Star Weekly the pandemic had exacerbated existing concerns of workforce shortages in the health sector.
“It’s one of the key issues that gets raised with us all the time, the load on doctors at the moment is just massive,” Mr Mitchell said.
“Parts of the electorate are classed as metro in the federal framework. It’d be ideal to be reclassified as a district of workforce shortage so we could get more access to qualified staff. Even a rural and regional classification means you have more of a chance to attract doctors.
“At the moment the cost of living goes up and doctors get paid less for more work. So they have to fill the gap between Medicare and what they can charge, so people end up paying more go to the doctor.
“That’s the nature of the beast.”
The senate inquiry is welcoming public submissions on individual experiences related to access of healthcare in non-metropolitan areas.
To contribute, visit: bit.ly/3DWmLx2
