Incentives to lure health staff to Queensland and make it easier to see a doctor are little more than band-aid solutions in areas where they are needed most, regional GP clinics say.
The federal government is tripling the amount paid to doctors who bulk-bill certain patients, while the Queensland government is offering tax-free bonuses to attract health professionals in what health minister Yvette D'ath describes as a health sector "arms race".
In north Queensland, co-owner of one of Cardwell's only general practitioner clinics, Julie McKay, fears the state government's incentives may worsen the staff shortage.
