By JONATHON HOWARD
FEDERAL LNP Member and incumbent for Maranoa, Bruce Scott, said the Coalition’s health policy, released last week, will work towards retaining and attracting more trained medical experts to rural and regional areas.
“We need more frontline services, highly skilled doctors, nurses and allied healthprofessionals in the Maranoa,” Mr Scott said.
Mr Scott’s massive electorate, which spans 43 per cent of Queensland’s landmass, is set toblossom under the Coalition’s health policy which focuses on patient care and assistingstudents from the bush to further their studies.
“Access to health care is a huge issue across the Maranoa and I have always been astrong advocate for better health services in the electorate,” he said.
“I support the Coalition’s focus on helping busy health professionals spend more timetreating patients and financial assistance for students from rural and remote areas to further their studies.
“The Coalition will commit $52.5 million to provide at least 175 grants of up to $300,000 targeted to rural and regional areas,” Mr Scott said.
He said the Coalition will also commit $13.4 million to provide 500 additional scholarships to amaximum of $30,000 per scholarship for nurses and allied health professionals in areas of need to undertake further study.
“Another $40 million, over four years, will support up to 100 additional intern places inprivate hospitals, with priority given to positions and rotations outside major metro areas to bolster the medical workforce in rural and regional areas,” Mr Scott said.
“Importantly, a Coalition Government would work to cut administration and bureaucracy in favour of more frontline services and work with states and territories to support more local control of hospital services.
“I’ve always believed hospitals can better operate at a community level rather than under the control of bureaucrats in Canberra.
“The Coalition has a strong record on health. As Health Minister, Tony Abbott increasedfunding for public hospitals from $7.49 billion in 2003-04 to $9.76 billion in 2007-08. In2012, the Federal Labor Government cut $1.6 billion from the Health Budget.”
