Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President with Graham Robinson, ABC Radio Mid-North Coast

PHELPS: Good morning.

ROBINSON: What are you looking to achieve on this visit? What do you hope to either look at and discuss, and what sort of issues do you want to raise?

PHELPS: Well, I'll be looking at some of the health services in the area, but particularly, taking the opportunity to listen to the doctors who are working in those areas that you mentioned, and make sure that I understand exactly what they need in terms of solutions so that the AMA can go to government and potential governments with real solutions.

ROBINSON: We have, I guess, everywhere has a lot of health issues, a lot of medical issues. Some of the very serious ones are a shortage of doctors, especially as you will find out, I guess, when you get to Laurieton. The area's been named an 'area of need'. But in my discussions with them, that has a bit of a two-edged sword. It hasn't worked that well for them. So, what is the bonus in being named as an 'area of need'?

PHELPS: Well, the bonus in being named an 'area of need' is that you receive certain incentives, particularly relocation grants for doctors to come and work in the area; and it is also possible for the practices in the area, if they have not been able to recruit doctors to come and work there, to apply for an overseas trained doctor or a temporary resident doctor to come and relieve the shortfall.

ROBINSON: But they say because they're rated, and I may be incorrect here, but they're rated at three, similar to Port Macquarie, they find doctors can't earn as much working for them as they could in the centre of New South Wales. So, they find it still difficult to attract doctors. Does all of this need to be re-evaluated, do you think, by the Federal Government, the way everything is set up?

PHELPS: Well, certainly the rhetoric about there being an over-supply of GPs needs to be re-evaluated because it just isn't born out by the evidence. I mean, everywhere I go they're saying the doctors are just working absolutely flat-out. In many country towns their books are closed, so people moving into the area are not able to find a GP who can even if there's a GP in town, because they are completely full. And that's a great concern.

But one of the one of the other concerns that's being raised in the area, particularly with the high number of retirees, is the inadequacy of aged care facilities.

ROBINSON: Mm. It's a major issue along the mid-north coast. It may be a major issue everywhere but certainly here. From what I understand, the beds that come on offer from the Federal Government can't be accepted by providers because they're too prohibitive. So, what do we need to have done? Do we need funding from the Federal Government to assist the development of those beds?

PHELPS: Look, you're absolutely right. The problem is that we're told that these places are there, but the providers of private aged care beds are saying that they can't afford to take up those places because it costs them more to provide the care than the funding for the placement provides. So, that really is a catch-22 situation. And I must say that we were very, very disappointed at the lack of release of a well articulated aged care policy by the Minister, yesterday.

ROBINSON: Doctor, these things have been ongoing for several years. Can the AMA actually get the Federal Government or the Opposition during this campaign, do you think, to commit to really doing something for health in Australia?

PHELPS: I think the electors must force that issue. And I think that they must say to both sides of the Government and the Opposition at the moment, 'What are you offering to us in terms of a better health system and a secure aged care platform?' I mean, just at Manning Base Hospital at the moment, there are 35 people in the hospital waiting for an aged care bed. Now, that's obviously creating problems in terms of people wanting to come into hospital for elective surgery or for …….

ROBINSON: In general, yeah. So, your waiting lists blow out. So, other things blow out. So, you have this cycle, don't you, that just creates more problems?

PHELPS: Yes, it does. And one of the things that we need to really look at is getting the Commonwealth Government and the States to sit down and work out who has responsibility for what's part of the health system. And aged care is one of those areas where a lot falls between the cracks because it's supposed to be Commonwealth funded, but then the States are picking up the shortfall by having people having to be in acute hospital beds. So, there is a real cost shift there which I think creates great problems as well.

ROBINSON: Just on local issues. You may or may not be aware of some of the issues surrounding Kempsey along the mid-north coast, too they also are reapplying as an 'area of need' to the Federal Government. And I'd ask you if you think that that area may be successful. But also, they have a mental health facility that was closed following the murder of a patient there by another patient. It hasn't been re-opened. Concerns in that area are that it won't be re-opened. Can the AMA bring pressure to bear on those regional facilities, or do you really have to look at the broader pictures?

PHELPS: We can do both. We have very active state AMA branches who look at the state and regional issues, and where possible, where it becomes a federal issue, we work together with the states to speak with the relevant minister in the state government. We also lobby very effectively and very actively with the Federal Government to ensure that they are aware. And, of course, we make sure that the local MPs are aware of the problems in their local areas. And I think that it's very important that we look at what is happening in the local areas because this is a microcosm example of what's happening all over Australia. And, frankly, it appears to me that almost the whole of Australia is becoming an area of need.

ROBINSON: I know you're pressed for time. So, just very quickly, two final questions: Are you concerned that there isn't currently a federal well, we don't know the Federal Minister for Health? Is that of any concern? And what are the AMA's highest priorities leading into this federal election that you'd like to lobby for?

PHELPS: I think that the only thing of certainty at the moment is that there will be a new health minister after November 10. And the AMA certainly looks forward to working with that minister, whether it's ALP or Coalition.

When the AMA is talking to the public, talking to doctors, talking to politicians, the issue that we're raising are the need for greater public hospital funding to ensure that we can continue to conduct education and research and that we don't see this talent drain away from the public sector, and people having to wait inordinate lengths of time for care. We want to see a much more compassionate and better funded aged care system. And we want to also make sure that general practice is better taken care of. At the moment general practice is really struggling all over Australia. And there needs to be some work done there. And, of course, we need to look, also to what is going to happen for our most disadvantaged group in the population, and that's our Indigenous Australians.

ROBINSON: Dr Phelps, thanks for taking time out to join us this morning.

PHELPS: Thank you.

ROBINSON: Bye-bye. Dr Kerry Phelps, president of the AMA, visiting the mid-north coast today. And health certainly does appear to be one of the major issues for the federal election.

Ends