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$30,000 incentive for doctors to move to outer-metropolitan areas

Doctors will be offered up to $30,000 to relocate from inner-city areas to fast growing outer-metropolitan areas of capital cities, under the More Doctors for Outer Metropolitan Areas Measure.

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24 March 2003

$30,000 incentive for doctors to move to outer-metropolitan areas

Doctors will be offered up to $30,000 to relocate from inner-city areas to fast growing outer-metropolitan areas of capital cities Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, announced today.

Under the More Doctors for Outer Metropolitan Areas Measure, doctors in inner-metropolitan areas can apply for a relocation grant of up to $20,000 to move to an existing practice, or $30,000 to assist in establishing a new practice in an outer-metropolitan area. The grant is available until June 2003 to ease the immediate need.

"There is a need for additional doctors in many outer-metro areas because health service provision has not kept up with population growth. This incentive is just one of the steps the Commonwealth Government is taking, demonstrating its commitment to improving health services in outer-metro areas."

"This new incentive is available to all doctors, both general practitioners and specialists, in inner-metropolitan areas who are eligible to practise in outer-metropolitan areas. This includes people who are currently working part time, or who are temporarily out of the work force," Senator Patterson said.

The new incentives are a new component of the $80 million More Doctors for Outer Metropolitan Areas Measure announced in last year's budget. Under this Measure, inner metropolitan doctors who are not vocationally recognised are able to access higher Medicare rebates when they move from an inner to an outer metropolitan area and work towards vocational recognition.

Doctors wanting further information about the incentives can contact the Department's Outer Metropolitan Hotline on 1800 727 899, or email the Department's Outer Metropolitan Taskforce at health.workforce@health.gov.au.

Media inquiries, contact Sarah Higginbottom, Media Adviser, Senator Patterson's office, 02 6277 7220.