No easy fix for health staffing shortages, but regional liveability must be considered as part of solution

Health care in Australia is often something we take for granted – until we, or a loved one, really need it. Our health system, despite all its challenges, is one of the best in the world. As most of us know, a country like the United States doesn’t have a universal health care scheme, so without insurance, it’s incredibly costly. In other less developed nations, the level of health care we have here in Australia couldn’t even be imagined.

It's entirely understandable to give something little thought if you’re not directly involved in it, or not in need of it. For many of us, we hope the odd visit to the GP, and maybe the dentist or physio once in a while, will be the extent of our health needs for most of our life.  But when that changes, we soon appreciate our health system, particularly in rural and regional communities, and the health professionals who work so hard to keep it running as efficiently as possible.

The simple fact is though that there’s not enough of these amazing people, and certainly not enough of them in non-metropolitan areas. NSW nurses recently took to the streets to express their dismay with the government over current pay rates, not something they would have done lightly. The dispute has ended for now, with both parties continuing negotiations, but it underlines the frustration within the system, and according to the union is leading to people leaving the profession, or being discouraged from pursuing nursing in the first place.

Staffing numbers are certainly an issue, with even large regional referral hospitals feeling the pain of staff shortages. You hear it from those who work there, it’s in the media regularly and was particularly highlighted during the most recent NSW parliamentary inquiry into remote, rural and regional health care.  

Nursing’s not the only sector feeling the pressure – GP, dentist and allied health numbers are all falling short of where they need to be. Policy-makers and peak health bodies are looking at, and working to introduce, initiatives and strategies to help address the situation, but it’s obviously not going to be quick fix. Pay rates are one area that could quickly be addressed, but governments have budgets like the rest of us, so increases need to be considered carefully and fall within these parameters. And, it’s clearly not as simple as offering more money.

When health professionals look to country communities, they must consider so many other factors: job opportunities for partners, housing availability, schooling options, childcare and social networks. Our regional towns and cities must be able to tick these boxes, or our health care services will continue to feel the pressure. For those of us who live in these communities, we must also continue to speak up, demanding our fair share of resources to sustain and improve the infrastructure health professionals – and indeed anyone considering a move – evaluate before they pack their bags.

Reduced HECS fees for health degrees and subsidised housing for choosing a country location have also been suggested to help ease shortages, and certainly nothing should be off the table at this point. For those of us who live in these communities, aside from keeping the pressure on our policy-makers, the best thing we can do is throw out the welcome mat when people do choose to make the move, and let our health professionals know how much we appreciate them. The power of a simple ‘thank you, you’re doing a great job’ shouldn’t be underestimated.