Doctor drought in Inverell may be eased with $60,000 enticement

Inverell Shire Council Mayor Paul Harmon says the sweetener would help relocating GPs with accommodation and travel costs.

"We are offering two lots of $30,000 to a doctor in a year, one doctor per practice," Cr Harmon says.

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The GP would need to have a practice set up in Inverell and practice for a minimum three days a week over a five-year period.

The push is the latest in Council's attempts to attract more medical services to the town.

Despite a $60 million upgrade of the hospital, authorities are still finding it difficult to attract doctors on the ground.

Last year, Council set up a community health forum to scope the doctor crisis and try find solutions.

Members will meet on August 9 to discuss issues raised.

Dr Steven McGilvray, who ran the hospital's emergency department before joining a general practice, told how the hospital now relied on agencies to source doctors, saying the system was almost like "an auction, they wait until the hospital is desperate and they can get the highest price.

"Anywhere from $1500-$4000 per day, with no overheads."

Dr McGilvray said hospital patients could get doctors on a "stick" and wheel it around to check people, but that was far from ideal.

"If someone needs stitches, no one can do the stitching," he said.

"Two patients recently suffered massive heart attacks while at the hospital, yet there were no doctors on site."

Inverell's GP shortage also meant workers found it difficult to book consultations for compensation injuries and faced up to a six-month wait for mental health services.

To address the crisis, Council is considering a single employer model, which provides a tailored, coordinated pathway for doctors wanting to become rural generalists during their training in public health facilities and private GP practices.

"This model has worked well in the Murrumbidgee region," Mayor Harmon said.

"I had discussions with Bronnie Taylor [MLC and Shadow Minister for Regional Health] on the model and how we can advocate that for our region.

"It sounds promising."

But Mayor Harmon said the issue of a doctor shortage in Inverell was also complex.

Council was working with the town's medical fraternity to come up with effective ideas.

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