08-November-2007
Goldstein Media Releases, Health
The Coalition Government has announced three practical plans to increase the availability of Australian trained doctors, nurses and specialists to provide greater support to Bayside residents, in particular younger families and the elderly.
The three practical plans include:
• Funding 800,000 home visits by practice nurses;
• Grants up to $40,000 per annum for GPs to employ practice nurses; and
• Doubling medical graduates by 2012.
Older Australians, veterans and their carers in Bayside will benefit from a re-elected Coalition Government’s plan to fund 800,000 home visits by practice nurses, Andrew Robb, Federal Member for Goldstein said today.
“This announcement is part of the Coalition’s comprehensive plan to meet the desire of increasing numbers of older Australians who want to remain at home as they age.
“The Coalition is already helping older Australians in Bayside to remain living in their own home by allocating over 200 new community aged care places for the area since 1996. The total number of aged care places has also increased by over 30% in that time and since 2004 more than $4.5 million has been allocated for new aged care places in Bayside.
“A re-elected Coalition Government will build on this record with our plan to fund practice nurses to visit older Australians and veterans at home to treat their injuries and illnesses. This will particularly help local residents who would not otherwise be able to get to a local GP for an appointment,” Robb said.
In addition, a re-elected Coalition Government will provide incentives for GP practices throughout Australia including Bayside to employ practice nurses. This will make 1,300 more general practice nurses, covering 2 million Australians, eligible for grants of up to $40,000 per annum to employ a practice nurse.
Andrew Robb said the Coalition had also announced new training places for Australian doctors, nurses and specialists.
Under the Coalition’s comprehensive plan to strengthen Australia’s health workforce the number of university medical graduates will more than double by 2012. The number of training places for medical specialists will also double by 2011 and the establishment of 25 new Australian Hospital Nursing Schools will train an extra 500 nurses a year.
This coincides with the establishment of 50 Family Emergency Medical Centres across Australia to help young families and ease some of the pressure on public hospital emergency departments.
“Together, these measures are helping to ensure that we have the medical workforce we need to improve the health of all Australians, including those in Bayside, now and in the future,” Robb said.