Independent Federal Member for Indi Dr Helen Haines MP has presented a package of measures focused on improving regional healthcare and workforce supply with the launch of her Health Policy this week.
Dr Haines said her plan aimed to improve capital investment in rural hospitals, training of healthcare workers, and support for students as part of a suite of policy measures for regional health.
While meeting with physiotherapy students in Wodonga today, Dr Haines said she would put the pressure on the next Government to extend practical placement payments to include allied health workers.
“In regional and rural Australia, the health needs of our communities are growing, but our health services are falling behind leaving us with outdated facilities, insufficient training places and healthcare students struggling to train locally,” said Dr Haines.
“Indi does not have enough doctors, nurses, psychologists and allied health workers to care for our community and the result is people waiting too long, spending too much and travelling too far to access necessary healthcare.
“I’m putting forward practical plans for the next Government to provide the quality care our regions need.”
The current government introduced a “prac payment” policy to pay students studying courses such as nursing and midwifery when they undertake the long work-placements required to fulfil their degrees. Dr Haines will work towards extending this to other allied health professionals who are also required to do long placements to become qualified.
Central to Dr Haines health platform is a $2 billion Building Rural Hospitals fund, including for new buildings, equipment and planning.
“The current funding system isn’t working for many rural and regional health services, across Indi and regional Australia.
“The Commonwealth provides billions of dollars in funding to city hospitals, but we don’t see the same commitment for rural health services that are essential to providing care close to home.
“It’s about time we properly invested in the rural communities that feed, clothe and power the nation.
“My plan will provide competitive and needs-based investment for new buildings, equipment and planning, so health services in regional areas from Corryong to Mansfield, Wodonga to Bright, don’t get left behind.”
Dr Haines said government support to teachers, nurses and social workers with payment for practical placements should be expanded to students in courses like medicine and allied health, including psychology, to help them complete their study and boost the number of healthcare workers.
“Placements are a requirement of study for health students and courses like occupational therapy and physiotherapy require 1,000 hours of placement.
“Students have to put a hold on paid work and incur travel and accommodation expenses, placing a huge financial burden on students and leading to placement poverty.”
A 2022 survey found that 96% of students said they didn’t have enough money to pay for their food, clothes and travel that their placement required.1
Dr Haines is also proposing a $33 million Commonwealth investment for rural universities to train more healthcare workers. The funding would be split between $23 million to train rural doctors, and $10 million for nurses and allied health workers.
Dr Haines said without more local training opportunities, healthcare workers are forced to leave our region to pursue their careers.
“La Trobe University in Albury Wodonga, in partnership with the University of Melbourne, offers medical school pathways but had more than 400 applications for only a handful of places.
“The Rural Medical Pathway is a great opportunity to support people moving to work and train in the regions and something I would like to see expanded to support our health services.”
Dr Haines’ work to improve regional training opportunities since being elected includes presenting the Government with a plan to establish a Collaborative Education and Research Centre in Albury-Wodonga and improving legislation to open the door for allied health workers to be paid for practical placements in the future.
Dr Haines said she would continue fighting for a single-site greenfield hospital for Albury Wodonga, including attending the Better Border Health rally on the steps of the Victorian Parliament on Wednesday 5 March.
ENDS