Fed: Rural doctors welcome new powers for midwives

Under a $134.4 million rejigging of relocation and retention incentives in Tuesday's federal budget, more than 2,400 doctors will be eligible for grants.

The way areas are classified for payments has been updated to take account of the most recent population and geographic information.

The underlying premise of the changes is the more rural a doctor is prepared to go, the greater the incentives.

For example, there are no incentives available for doctors practising in Geelong, Victoria, because it is classified as a major city.

But if a doctor moved to Albury, NSW, which is considered an inner-regional centre, they would be eligible for a relocation grant worth up to $15,000, plus retention payments of up to $2,500, if they stayed a year, or $34,000 if they remained for five years.

In Queensland, Townsville and Cairns are classified as outer-regional towns, so the maximum relocation grant for doctors who move to either of those areas to work is doubled to $30,000.

Retention payments range from $4,000 for six months to $62,000 for five years.

Doctors who work in very remote areas, such as Anmatjere in the Northern Territory, are eligible to receive a relocation grant worth up to $120,000 and retention payments ranging from $8,000 for six months to $140,000 for five years.

Rural Doctors Association of Australia president Nola Maxfield said most doctors in country Australia would be better off under the new incentive arrangements.

She welcomed the new powers for midwives, who play a key role in maternity services in the bush already.

Under changes made in the budget, midwives will now be able to bill Medicare for their consultations. Their patients will be able to access cheaper medicines because midwives now have access to the PBS.

They will also be subsidised for professional indemnity insurance if they work in a hospital or birthing centre.

"Birthing services are extremely important in rural communities. We know that they're valued by the rural women and their families," Dr Maxfield told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

"If we can have a patient seeing either the midwife or the GP, depending on who is the appropriate person at the time, then that's going to benefit the patients and free the GPs up to be able to see other people.

"The GPs in rural areas who are providing birthing services know that they can't do it by themselves."

Dr Maxfield said while the measures for rural health were a step forward, more money was needed for health infrastructure.

To check what incentives are available for doctors in your town, visit http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/Publishing.nsf/Content/RA-locator .