DEBUS WELCOMES SUPPORT FOR RURAL HEALTH IN CENTRAL WEST October 28, 2007

Bob Debus, Labor's candidate for Macquarie, today welcomed the announcement that a Rudd Labor Government will invest $6 million in supporting obstetricians in rural and regional areas and $2.5 million in additional rural scholarships for medical students.

" Federal Labor is strongly committed to improving rural health and to delivering the better health services that rural communities deserve," said Mr Debus.

" These latest commitments will see an investment of $6 million to support the Specialist Obstetrician Locum Scheme and expand it to provide support to GP proceduralists, including generalist obstetricians and anaesthetists.

" This investment will significantly expand the support provided to obstetricians and other doctors undertaking specialist support in the Central West.

" It will mean that obstetricians working in the Central West can be relieved by a locum service, so that they can take a much deserved breaks for rest and to undertake professional development."

Labor's announcement that it will provide an additional $2.5 million to the John Flynn Scholarship program, run by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, means that the number of annual scholarships will double from 150 to 300 scholarships per year, starting in the 2009 academic year.

" The John Flynn Scholarship program provides support for undergraduate medical students to undertake placements in rural and remote communities for at least two weeks each year.

" We know that if young medical students have positive work experiences in a regional area like the Central West, they are more likely to return to work here in the future," said Mr Debus.

These commitments form part of Federal Labor's $2.5 billion plan to improve health and hospital services around the country, and add to Labor's existing commitments to improve health services for rural communities, including:

· Upfront investment under Labor's National Health Reform Plan will be targeted to areas of high need, particularly rural and regional areas
· Federal Labor's National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission will develop a long-term plan for improving rural health services
· A $600 million elective surgery plan to help to improve elective surgery capacity in Australia's rural and regional hospitals
· An $81 million nursing package will help put extra nurses in country hospitals
· GP Super Clinics will be established in areas where there is under-utilisation of Medicare-funded services, particularly in rural areas
· Reform of the Rural Medical Infrastructure Fund to make more communities eligible for assistance and to make it easier to apply for funding
· Strong commitment to improve Indigenous health, including Labor's $260 million Indigenous Early Childhood Package
· The Commonwealth Dental Health Program will be re-established, to fund up to 1 million consultations and treatments through public dental services, which will benefit the many rural communities which do not always have private dental services.

Mr Debus said that Labor would also explore the possibility of including a specific rural health service commitment in the next Australian Health Care Agreements.

" Labor's initiatives are great news for this community, and will assist not just the doctors working in the bush now, but our rural health workforce for the future," said Mr Debus.