Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Families in my electorate on the Central Coast deserve to be able to access a local GP nearby when they are sick and when they need to see one. I rise to speak about this important issue tonight because, sadly, it appears not to be the case for too many people living in suburbs like Woy Woy, Umina, Ettalong and Patonga. The shortage of GPs on the peninsula, in particular, has, to quote a respected local doctor, moved 'past crisis point'. This has been a major issue and a great source of frustration for many people on the peninsula for a number of years now, with the added pressure of a rapidly growing population.

After years of inaction from Labor on this very issue, the coalition made it part of our growth plan for the Central Coast in the lead-up to the 2013 election. We pledged to look into the unique circumstances facing our region in attracting doctors. We accepted that more needed to be done. Part of the reason was the district of workforce shortage system, known as DWS, which at that time was using data from 2004. Thanks to this government, we made vital changes to the DWS calculations so that now the most up-to-date data are used to identify areas where there is a doctor shortage, which in some cases will make it easier to plan and to recruit doctors. As part of this commitment, we fought for and delivered a change that opened up opportunities for the availability of doctors in 26 new suburbs in the electorate of Robertson, including Avoca Beach, Copacabana, Davistown, Empire Bay, Erina, Green Point, Killcare, Kincumber, Saratoga, Terrigal and Wagstaffe. But, unfortunately, these changes did not include Umina Beach, Ettalong Beach, Woy Woy and other suburbs in the peninsula region.

I met with Dr Ray Martin at his Umina surgery last week about this issue. Dr Martin has been practising as a GP on the peninsula for three decades. He said that the doctor shortage was 'quite extreme'. With plans to move on and finish up his practice at the end of the month, around 1,200 patients will now be looking for a doctor because Dr Martin has not been able to successfully recruit another GP to replace him. This is a critical issue. It was published in the Central Coast Express Advocate this week. That has led even more residents to call, write and post on my Facebook page about this issue.

Tania emailed me, saying that she was finding it extremely difficult to find a practice which has its books open to accept new patients. This being the case, she feared the only solution for many of the affected people would be to go to emergency at Gosford Hospital. Robert from Booker Bay said how Dr Martin had been his family doctor for many years and that he fears he will have no access to a GP nearby when he closes this practice. Maria shared that because she is suffering from asthma she is forced to travel to Sydney for appointments and treatments. She admitted that her family moved to Umina in December 2013 and that they still have not been able to see a local doctor. Ray, also from Umina, said he has to book four or five days in advance to see a doctor. Lesa shared a sentiment that is true for many families, saying that it is very sad when you lose your family doctor. She noted the impact because of the build-up of trust that is very hard to replace. Kane wrote and said that he has lived on the peninsula since October and that he has been turned away from every practice on the peninsula. Even if there is a booking free, they will not see him. Clint said the line 'we're not taking new patients' is what you hear from almost all the surgeries in Woy Woy and Umina. Woy Woy pharmacist Lance Clarke, who has been servicing the area for 32 years, described the situation as 'ridiculous'.

This week, I have spoken with the Minister for Health. I met at length with the Assistant Minister for Health, Dr David Gillespie. And I will pass on each and every one of these concerns that I have raised in parliament today and the dozens more from people who have since written. In the coming weeks, I look forward to welcoming Dr Gillespie, who has responsibility for health workforce, to my electorate to look at forming a strategic and considered approach to attract quality health providers to our region. We will work closely with local stakeholders, like the highly effective primary health network, and our local community to create a strategy for recruitment with a focus on long-term sustainability and supply.

Of course, ultimately it is not the government's job to either train or higher GPs. But the complexity of this issue, I understand, means that DWS may not be the only answer. We can, of course, put long-term plans in place, like we have done with the $32½ million investment in a central coast medical school and medical research institute while working alongside the New South Wales government, the University of Newcastle and other stakeholders to build an exciting growth precinct from this. That will help to train more local GPs on the Central Coast and, therefore, attract more GPs to our region. But, ultimately, it is actually our responsibility to listen to the concerns of our residents, to raises these concerns in the parliament and to act where we can on issues as urgent as this. It is especially important because of the personal impact it has on the lives of people who live on the peninsula. We have a strong record of delivering on this important issue in the past. We have determination to deliver again in the future.