GP shortage under the spotlight as health inquiry comes to Far North Queensland

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The region’s GP crisis has been front and centre of issues discussed at public hearings as the State Government’s inquiry into non-state-run health care services moves into Far North Queensland.

Representatives of the North Queensland Primary Health Network, James Cook University (JCU) and the Queensland Nurse’s and Midwives Union have been among those speaking at the public hearings in Cairns and Mossman.

Committee chair Aaron Harper said the Cairns hearing heard there are currently 97 ­vacancies for GPs and 29 for allied health practice roles across the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service region.

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The evidence at the public hearings is adding to 71 submissions received by the Health and Environment Committee, among them an email from a Mission Beach resident concerned about the lack of General Practitioners in her town.

Caryn Quinn detailed delays in receiving medical treatment for a knee injury through the Tully Medical Centre, which she said resulted in her leg swelling and being diagnosed with blood clots.

“Surely I'm one of hundreds,” she said.

“What are your plans to correct this problem that is only going to exacerbate now that every Tom, Dick and Harry want to come here and live?”

Her concerns were echoed by Nicole Wynn from Atherton.

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“Whenever I need a doctor, I have to drive down to Cairns – which is not at all ideal when I'm feeling unwell.”

Tableland Community Link services manager Cassie de Brueys said wait lists for everything from surgery to occupational therapy for her clients are huge.

“We often can't get doctor’s appointments for clients we support and we can't get new clients in to see a doctor,” she said.

“There are no bulk billing services for people with high medical needs and we get far more requests for NDIS supports than our capacity to provide.

“There is a lack of services overall with clients on allied health wait lists for speech and occupational therapy, which is vital for NDIS reports and reviews.”

Possible solutions

JCU has offered four key solutions, including building up the pipeline of the domestic workforce through targeted, positive and relevant rural training and increasing the respect of rural health practitioners by making them academic leaders.

The university would also like to see priority for university admission given to students from non-metropolitan backgrounds.

Submissions have also been made for some health professionals to increase their scope of practice to help take pressure off GPs.

Pharmacists are now giving vaccinations and prescribing medicine for urinary tract infections, but the Pharmacy Guild of Australia believes they can do more and has begun working with the Queensland Government to develop a trial.

“We commend the Government for providing a pre-election commitment to design and implement a trial for pharmacists practising to their full scope in North Queensland,” said President of the Guild’s Queensland Branch, Chris Owen.

“Queensland Health is currently working with the Guild and other key stakeholders to define the parameters of the trial and we look forward its commencement.”

Roy Bange OAM, a specialist in paramedicine in areas of health policy, risk management, regulation and governance, says the paramedic workforce can also do more.

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“To encourage early assessment and provide patient-centred care, the author advocates the philosophy of ‘taking healthcare to the patient’,” he said. 

“To assist in this process, better mobilisation of the paramedicine workforce is proposed to increase the available practitioner resources in fulfilling that goal.”

The committee is due to report back to the Queensland Government by 30 March.

Submissions closed in December.