John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation, Senator McKenzie. Will the minister outline to the Senate how the coalition government is supporting the remote health workforce in the regions?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

People living in rural, regional and remote areas face barriers accessing the same range of health services as those in metropolitan areas. Remote health workforce safety has been a longstanding concern for governments and employers of remote health workers. I was pleased to announce on 22 August that Australia's remote health workforce will receive additional training, support and professional services, with the federal government committing over $13 million to CRANAplus. The funding commitment will enable CRANAplus to continue its crucial work in addressing the barriers to recruiting and retaining health professionals in remote areas. It will ensure that more than 1,500 health professionals in remote Australia are properly supported to meet the unique challenges of health service delivery in isolated communities.

When remote communities do not have local hospitals or doctors, healthcare services are typically provided by the remote area nurses and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, supported by visiting medical and allied health professionals. Remote area nurses have to manage any number of risks while providing vital health services in communities which often have none. Weather, travelling large distances and other complexities all come into play. It's a very different model of healthcare delivery and ensures that essential health care is available to the most vulnerable parts of the population in the most isolated areas.

I know that many senators in this chamber will remember the murder of remote area nurse Gayle Woodford in the remote community of Fregon in the APY Lands in South Australia in March 2016. While acknowledging that the responsibility for the safety and security of the remote area health workforce rests with their employers—predominantly state and territory governments—in response to this tragedy, the Commonwealth government provided additional funding to CRANAplus to be used to develop a suite of resources and education programs to help professionals in remote locations and their employers to mitigate the risks.

The coalition government is committed to ensuring Australians have access to high-quality health care. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Williams, a supplementary question?

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister. Can the minister outline to the Senate the important work that CRANAplus undertakes with the remote health workforce and the support that it provides in remote and isolated communities?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australian government funding ensures that training, support and professional services are accessible and affordable for the remote workforce to actually attend. For example, during the 12 months from 1 January to 31 December 2017, CRANAplus undertook a range of education support and advocacy activities that included more than 800 telephone calls to the Bush Support Services line, including internet based counselling services; more than 3,000 health practitioners enrolling in e-learning upskilling modules; more than 100 short courses delivered to over 1,500 participants; and more than 41 fee-paying courses delivered to nonmembers.

There is strong stakeholder support for CRANAplus in rural and remote areas. They are a highly regarded remote health organisation with a reputation for delivering quality training courses which respond to the unique needs of isolated communities, and which are relevant and highly effective in upskilling the remote health workforce.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Williams, a final supplementary question.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister and ask, through you, Mr President: can the minister explain to the Senate how these investments will also support Australians accessing health care in the most remote areas of the country?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians who live and work in remote areas of the country have less access to the health services which most Australians take for granted. In our most remote and isolated areas of the country, the first professional you're likely to see is a remote area nurse who, in an emergency, will provide treatment or stabilisation before further help can be sought.

As the minister responsible for rural health I'm absolutely committed to increasing access to health services for all Australians, no matter the location. And through the funding commitment of the coalition government, CRANAplus will be able to continue to support health professionals, such as our remote area nurses, to ensure they're available where and when people in remote parts of the country need them most.

We need to have an innovative approach to health delivery in the most isolated parts of the country, and the transformational Stronger Rural Health Strategy, the most significant health workforce reform in three decades, will also support the delivery of a more multidisciplinary, team based model of primary health care across rural and regional Australia.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.