Nationals MP cries out for country doctors

A federal government backbencher has warned regional health in Australia is at a crisis point

In a tearful speech to parliament on Wednesday night, Nationals MP Anne Webster said country towns were plagued by a shortfall of doctors.

She said there was typically one doctor for thousands of patients in her Victorian seat of Mallee.

In Melbourne it was one for every 900 people.

"It's simply not okay that a person's location determines their access to health services, and therefore their quality of life, but at the moment, it does," Dr Webster said.

"The government needs to work on getting the settings right so we can address the maldistribution of our nation's healthcare workforce."

The coronavirus pandemic had helped speed up changes in regional health with the opening up of telehealth services, Dr Webster said.

"What needs to be understood is that a ten year reform of telehealth has been achieved in ten days," she said.

But while the government was making strides in some areas, she said it should throw more support behind a program enticing doctors to the bush.

Dr Webster also pointed to universities that were training out-of-town and local doctors in regional communities to help them stay there.

"I truly believe in the efficacy of local regional training as a solution to the workforce challenges we face," she said.

The former social worker fought back tears as she ended her speech, which touched on how she had raised her family in her own electorate since her husband had accepted a doctor's internship there 43 years ago .

"I will continue to address the shortcomings in regional and rural health service delivery," Dr Webster.