Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders comments on regional, rural health inquiry findings

After the NSW parliamentary inquiry into rural health reported shortcomings in the state's regional and remote health system, stakeholders have shared their views on the damning findings.

Parliamentarians, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), and senior journalists who made submissions to the inquiry, commented on the report.

Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders said that the report was "detailed" and "extensive". He said that NSW Health, its individual health districts, and the state government would review the report carefully.

He said that he expected to see relevant announcements as part of the budget in June 2022.

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"While our health system is one of the best in the world, no health system is without its challenges," he said.

Mr Saunders said he acknowledged that more needs to be done to address the issues facing health in regional areas.

"It is clear there are problems in regional health that must be fixed, we do not shy away from that and will take meaningful action to fix them," he told Daily Liberal.

On his visit to Dubbo, federal member for Riverina Michael McCormack spoke about the rural health inquiry report saying, "We respect their findings and we'll continue to work with our state coalition to provide better outcomes for regional people.".

In a statement, RACGP president Dr Karen Price said the report was a positive step forward but warned action at a federal level was desperately needed.

"This report is long overdue because for too long healthcare in our rural, regional and remote communities has been overlooked," she said.

The college represents four-out-of-five rural GPs in Australia, and welcomed the focus on investment in healthcare in those communities.

Dr Price applauded the report for recommending the government investigate incentives and new health infrastructure to attract and retain more doctors to communities outside of major cities.

"We can't just encourage action at the state and territory level though, we need a nation approach that gives rural, regional, and remote general practice a shot in the arm," she said.

Dr Price pointed out an interim report by the Community Affairs References Committee published in April 2022 and said that Medicare rebates for patients had not kept pace with inflation and the cost of providing high-quality general practice care.

"World-class general practice care requires time and when rebates are insufficient - this is particularly damaging in areas of lower socio-economic status, as well as rural, regional, and remote areas," she said.

Jamelle Wells and Liz Hayes described the health system as deeply flawed. Both spoke at the inquiry about the experiences their fathers had while sick.

"This has been an incredibly painful experience. The loss of our fathers, Alan Wells and Bryan Ryan, to a rural health system that we now know is deeply flawed is unforgivable," Ms Wells and Ms Hayes said in a joint statement.

Noting the hundreds of other submissions made to the inquiry, they hoped the NSW government would act to bring about genuine change.

"Country people deserve better. These are people's lives. They matter," they said.