Medical Forum
Record number of rural GPs in WA
A record number of GPs are now working across rural and regional Western Australia, with the state recording its largest annual increase in rural GPs in more than a decade.
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Medical Forum
Some 1067 GPs were working across rural and remote WA at the end of November last year – an increase of 58 doctors from the previous year.
The numbers, outlined in the latest Rural General Practice in Western Australia: Annual Workforce Update, show 30 additional resident GPs living and working in rural communities.
The growth reverses a trend towards increasing reliance on fly-in, fly-out and drive-in, drive-out models, according to Rural Health West.
Chief executive Catherine Elliot said GPs in these areas were helping patients access care closer to home.
“It's particularly encouraging to see growth in resident GPs, because doctors who live in their communities become part of the fabric of those towns,” she said.
“They support local schools, businesses and sporting clubs, supervise future health professionals and provide the continuity of care that rural patients value.”
Data also suggest workforce stability remains consistent, with overall GP turnover sitting at 13.2%, continuing a downward trend of doctors leaving rural areas.
In the Goldfields, GP turnover fell below 10% for the first time in a decade, while the Pilbara recorded a significant turnaround after several years of exceptionally high turnover.
Female GPs now represent 50% of the workforce, with 526 practising across rural and regional WA.
Finance, housing and affordability remain key
While the growth in workforce numbers was welcome, Rural Health West cautioned that the financial viability of general practices in smaller communities remained a concern.
It said local governments are increasingly stepping in to provide financial and in-kind support to help maintain access to healthcare services.
"Healthcare funding is not traditionally a local government responsibility, and there is growing recognition that more sustainable long-term solutions are needed,” Professor Elliott said.
"Increasingly, health professionals are asking about housing before they will accept a position," she said.
"Workforce planning can no longer be separated from issues such as housing, community infrastructure and regional development."