❓ Question regarding the closure of the Southern Forests Health Clinic in Manjimup and government efforts to attract and retain GPs in the area. The government response highlights shared responsibility with the Commonwealth and existing initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 4033Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the closure of the Southern Forests Health Clinic in Manjimup, and ask: (a) what additional effort is the government taking to keep Southern Forest Health Clinic open; (b) what is the government doing to attract more General Practitioners (GPs) to Manjimup; (c) what is the government doing to keep GPs working at Southern Forest Health Clinic in Manjimup; and (d) will the government use Royalties for Regions money to fund GPs working in the Southern Forest Health Clinic in Manjimup?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
21 May 2015
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
28 days
The Commonwealth Government is principally responsible for the provision of primary care services, including general practitioners (GPs). The broad shortage of doctors and the shortage in regional areas is an issue that has frequently been raised by this Government with the Commonwealth. Western Australia (WA) has a significant shortage of GPs, having fewer GPs per capita than any other state. The State assists with the provision, attraction and retention of GPs in order to maintain sustainable services.
(a) The Southern Forests Health Clinic (SFHC) is operated by GP Down South, a Commonwealth funded not for profit organisation. The decision to close the SFHC was made by GP Down South who advised the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) South West of the pending closure on 18 March 2015. The practice ceased operating on 31 March 2015. WACHS South West has been working with key stakeholders, including the GPs who were employed by the practice, to facilitate an interim solution to ensure the community has access to non-urgent medical care.
(b) The WA Government has attempted to assist the Commonwealth to attract GPs to rural areas through the $565 million Royalties for Regions (RfR) funded Southern Inland Health Initiative (SIHI), which includes a GP incentive program and in collaboration with Rural Health West (RHW), the lead workforce agency for health professionals looking to work in rural WA. All Manjimup doctors eligible for SIHI incentive payments are currently receiving these.
The WA Government has also provided funding to the Shire of Manjimup for the construction of three dwellings for health professionals. These properties are currently under construction.
In addition, the WA and Commonwealth Governments have entered into an arrangement wherein the Commonwealth Government has declared an area a "District of Workforce Shortage (DWS)" and the State can then declare that an "Area of Need (AoN)". All regional WA has DWS/AoN status, which allows for a loosening of provisions around the Medicare Benefits Schedule claiming by international medical graduates if it is demonstrated that Australian trained doctors cannot be recruited to work in those areas.
(c) WACHS South West and RHW have been liaising with key stakeholders to support the previously employed GPs and encourage new GP practices in Manjimup.
(d) GP Down South closed their SFHC on the 31 March 2015. The RfR funded SIHI includes a GP incentive program and all Manjimup doctors eligible for these incentive payments are currently receiving them.
(a) The Southern Forests Health Clinic (SFHC) is operated by GP Down South, a Commonwealth funded not for profit organisation. The decision to close the SFHC was made by GP Down South who advised the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) South West of the pending closure on 18 March 2015. The practice ceased operating on 31 March 2015. WACHS South West has been working with key stakeholders, including the GPs who were employed by the practice, to facilitate an interim solution to ensure the community has access to non-urgent medical care.
(b) The WA Government has attempted to assist the Commonwealth to attract GPs to rural areas through the $565 million Royalties for Regions (RfR) funded Southern Inland Health Initiative (SIHI), which includes a GP incentive program and in collaboration with Rural Health West (RHW), the lead workforce agency for health professionals looking to work in rural WA. All Manjimup doctors eligible for SIHI incentive payments are currently receiving these.
The WA Government has also provided funding to the Shire of Manjimup for the construction of three dwellings for health professionals. These properties are currently under construction.
In addition, the WA and Commonwealth Governments have entered into an arrangement wherein the Commonwealth Government has declared an area a "District of Workforce Shortage (DWS)" and the State can then declare that an "Area of Need (AoN)". All regional WA has DWS/AoN status, which allows for a loosening of provisions around the Medicare Benefits Schedule claiming by international medical graduates if it is demonstrated that Australian trained doctors cannot be recruited to work in those areas.
(c) WACHS South West and RHW have been liaising with key stakeholders to support the previously employed GPs and encourage new GP practices in Manjimup.
(d) GP Down South closed their SFHC on the 31 March 2015. The RfR funded SIHI includes a GP incentive program and all Manjimup doctors eligible for these incentive payments are currently receiving them.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.