The state government's general practitioner incentive package puts Tasmania ahead of other states in terms of attracting doctors to work in rural and regional areas, Rural Doctors Association of Tasmania president Ben Dodds said.
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Health Minister Guy Barnett was in Campbell Town on Friday to spruik the government's incentive package, announced at this year's state election, which offers doctors a $100,000 settlement allowance to work in rural and regional parts of the state over five years, and a promise to pay off their university debt.
It is hoped that the $4 million initiative will attract 40 new GPs to hard-to-staff areas.
"I am confident that this significant incentive will begin to quickly attract GPs to our rural and regional communities, with Tasmanians to benefit as a result," Mr Barnett said.
Dr Dodds said there was a GP shortage around the country at the moment, and fewer medical students were interested in undertaking general practice specialist training.
"So this is part of a longer term piece of work that will fit in with other state priorities and other Commonwealth priorities to ensure that medical students and junior doctors who are interested in general practice choose Tasmania to be their place of work," he said.
"We've seen a lot of increasing growth in GP training in Tasmania and I think that growth will continue to expand, and on the back of this, I suspect will be accelerated."
Dr Dodds said health money was more effectively spent in general practice and primary care.
"And we know that our current levels of demand in general practice aren't keeping up with the workforce that we are training," he said.
Deloraine Medical Centre co-owner Aaron Hawkins said when a general practitioner decided to move to a regional area, they needed to consider work opportunities for other family members, schooling, access to day care, and living costs.
"Having some of that support to get over those barriers is going to be hopefully a big change in the future," he said.
"Boosting (general practitioner) numbers is about making general practice an attractive career for our junior doctors.
"We know that a lot of the negativity around general practice is impacting what people want to do for their career ... and breaking down some of these barriers with incentives like this is a step in the right direction."
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
