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.
"Any GP or nurse who may want to come to us will be lured to the public system due to the $70,000 potential bonus," Ms McKay said.
"Honestly, we feel again we have missed out and it will be hard to sustain services in these small communities."
Like other regional and rural towns across Australia, Cardwell does not have enough health staff to cater for its population of 1,300, as well as patients from surrounding towns where there are no GPs.
Two locums work out of the Cardwell Family Practice and also visit the local aged care home.
Doctors based in other towns also cycle through the ‘Ingham Family Practice’ on Cardwell’s shore front for three days weekly.
"It's getting to a crunch point for all practice owners," practice co-owner Julie McKay said.
"I became a nurse to help people and that's one of the reasons it's really shattering to know if we closed, the community would be absolutely stuffed … the town would die."
Patient starts petition
When 70-year-old patient Gabi Plumm was struck down with gastroenteritis last month, she knew she would not get into the clinic quickly, so she drove herself to hospital in the nearby town of Tully.
"It's no better nearby. If people want to head to Tully to see a doctor, there is an eight-week wait. That is insane. Here [in Cardwell], it's about three weeks and in Ingham it's about five," she said.
Fed up after her experience, Ms Plumm started a petition calling for more doctors in regional Queensland, which Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto plans to table in state parliament.
GP and owner of the Tully Medical Centre Kim Savier does not believe the state government's incentive scheme will reduce her patient wait times.
"We've had a chronic workforce shortage for many, many years," Dr Savier said.
"It doesn't attract any staff to non-Queensland Health facilities and GPs — there's no incentive for us at all."
The state government's healthcare workers incentives come into effect on July 1.
Under the Commonwealth bulk-bill incentive, GPs will be given additional money when they bulk-bill people under 16 and those holding concession cards.
The government estimates it will benefit about 11 million people and unclog hospital emergency rooms.
'A shot in the arm'
Ms McKay found the federal announcement more promising but said it would still not help the region's doctor shortage.
"That will assist us, but once again by increasing the bulk-billing incentive, [it] doesn't actually cover the private patients that come through," she said.
"I would've thought they would have increased the Medicare levy so the patients who do pay privately as well are less out of pocket.
"GPs are just getting a rise of $20 per bulk-billed patient."
The rural chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Associate Professor Michael Clements, said both incentives were a "shot in the arm and very much needed", but he was worried the Queensland scheme missed the mark.
"We don't need to invest more and more money into bigger and bigger hospitals with more staff to treat people once they're already broken," Dr Clements said.
"For Queensland Health to deliberately try and pull doctors only into their roles, instead of actually thinking about investing in community care, is a real shame."
Dr Clements, who is also a Townsville-based GP and practice owner, pointed to towns like Mission Beach, where the last GP practice closed in 2022, and Bowen where general practices were facing the threat of closure.
"What we can see happening is that this will accentuate the move out of community general practice, where we need them most, into hospital roles," he said.
Queensland's Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said the federal investment in bulk-billing would complement the state's scheme.
"While the Palaszczuk government is providing incentives to recruit health workers into the public system, we welcome the Commonwealth government's investment in primary care that will assist in bolstering the GP workforce," Ms D'Ath said.
