Cash needed to attract GPs

A study has revealed metropolitan doctors want a salary increase of at least $68,000 to move to rural or remote areas.

Named Getting Doctors into the Bush: GPs Preferences for Rural Location, the study investigated what incentives were needed to entice GPs to ru ral locations such as Collie, Donnybrook and Harvey.

Research found moving to an inland town with between 5000 and 20,000 people would require incentives of at least 37 per cent of earnings, or roughly $68,000.

The research also found incentives equivalent to 130 per cent of annual earnings — or about $237,000 — would be required for GPs to accept a job in a remote town with a big workload and an increase of roughly $116,000 would be requiredto encourage them to a basic job in an inland town with less than 5000 people.

Rural Health West chief executive officer Belinda Bailey said while she could not comment on doctors’ individual opinions, studies had shown it was not just salary that prevented doctors from making the move.

‘‘Factors such as access to ongoing professional development and peer support, education and employment opportunities for the family and distance from friends and family, significantly impact on career decisions,’’ she said.

‘‘And whilst pay and financial incentives are important, other factors will influence different individual decisions.’’

Southern Inland Health Initiative project director David Naughton said the initiative — funded by the State Government’s Royalties for Regions program— included a ‘‘substantial investment’’ to increase the health workforce.

‘‘An attraction and retention package has been developed to encourage GPs to live and work within rural communities in WA while contributing to an integrated health service network that supports medical services and patient care,’’ he said.

‘‘It has always been difficult recruiting doctors to some parts of regional WA.

‘‘This initiative provides improved attraction and retention packages for existing private GPs and new private medical practitioners to work with local health services to support hospitals and emergency departments and improve private medical practices in the southern inland area.’’