Farmers and their families are also health consumers.  Poor access to health services remains a predominant concern for members.  For this reason, combined with the fact that rural and remote Australians have poorer health than their metropolitan counterparts, the Association is committed to addressing the rural health challenges facing members.

The Association works closely with a range of rural health organisations in an attempt to develop a more comprehensive approach to addressing the ongoing provision of rural health services.  Arguably the biggest challenge facing rural communities from a health perspective is the attraction and retention of appropriately skilled health workers, ranging from GPs to Nurse Practitioners to Allied Health Professionals.  The Association is also extremely concerned by ongoing closures of rural hospitals and/or specialist units such as obstetrics and oncology.

The Association is seeking a collaborative approach towards rural health infrastructure and service delivery solutions, including (but not limited to) more appropriate investment in rural health infrastructure; increasing students’ rural exposure through rural clinical placements; improving access to rural health training and education in rural areas; and utilisation of incentive programs across all health disciplines.

The Association is also extremely active on matters pertaining to rural mental health.  Click here for further information on the Association’s Rural Mental Health Network.

Dental health is also a priority health issue for the Association.  Members are expressing growing concerns about the extreme shortage of rural dental services across rural and remote NSW and have given the Association a mandate to actively pursue more rural dentist services, particularly through rural scholarships.  The Association regularly meets with the Australian Dental Association to discuss rural dental health concerns and recently participated in the Legislative Council Social Issues Committee Inquiry into Dental Services in NSW.

Related Issues

Guide to Attracting and Retaining GPs
In response to worrying predictions that 70% of NSW rural towns that have doctors are vulnerable to a significant loss of medical services over the next few years, and an almost 50% surge in rural doctor vacancies over the past year, the NSW Rural Doctors Network has launched a community guide to improve prospects of attracting a doctor.  Titled ‘We want a Doctor… But does a Doctor want us?’ the guide provides a check list and suggestions on how towns can go about improving their prospects of attracting a doctor in an environment where demand for rural GPs exceeds both the domestic and international supply.  The community guide has been distributed to all NSW rural councils, but can also be downloaded from the Rural Doctors Network website.

Rural Health Briefing Note
Click here for a copy of the Association’s latest Rural Health Briefing Note

IPTAAS
The Association lodged a submission in response to the Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Operation and Effectiveness of Patient Assisted Travel Schemes (PATS) in June 2007.  Click here for a copy of the submission

Dental Services
The Association recently lodged a submission in response to the Inquiry into Dental Services in NSW conducted by the Legislative Council Social Issues Committee.  Click here for a copy of the submission.

Mental Health
The Association recently lodged a submission to the Senate Select Committee on Mental Health.  Click here for a copy of the submission.