Doctors are being offered tens of thousands of dollars to move to Wyndham in a new bid to end the city’s GP shortage.
Specialists and GPs who relocate to the municipality can receive up to $30,000 from the federal government, while those who set up a new practice will get $40,000 under the Outer Metropolitan Region Incentive Grants.
Rapid population growth and an ageing population continue to stretch Wyndham health services.
Latest figures show the city had 0.89 GPs per 1000 residents in 2012-13. The City of Melbourne had 2.12 GPs for every 1000 residents. The state average is 1.18. South Western Melbourne Medicare Local chief executive Gaylene Coulton said the grants had the potential to increase GP and specialist services.
‘’We are currently experiencing a shortage of doctors and specialists in Wyndham and I welcome these incentives as another way to encourage doctors to relocate to our area,’’ she said.
“Because there has been so much growth in the area, health services are really stretched.
‘‘These grants will provide extra assistance to doctors and specialists planning a move out of inner metropolitan Melbourne.”
Ms Coulton said many of Wyndham’s existing doctors and specialists were reaching retirement age, placing extra strain on health services.
“Residents in Wyndham have a great deal of difficulty accessing specialists in the local area with many people travelling long distances to the other side of Melbourne for appointments,’’ she said.
‘‘By providing specialists and GPs with incentives to set up their practices in our area, we hope we can alleviate some of these issues, reduce travel time and costs as well as shrinking the waiting lists for appointments.”
Australian Medical Association Victoria president Stephen Parnis welcomed the grants.
He said the municipality was in need of more community and hospital-based health services.
“With such a rapidly expanding population you need services and you need to encourage doctors to set up practices,” Dr Parnis said.
“These sorts of grants would be welcome in supporting doctors as they attempt to purchase a new practice.”
