By XAVIER SMERDON
GENERAL practitioners and medical specialists are being offered grants of up to $30,000 to relocate to Wyndham, in a bid to ease pressures on the municipality’s struggling health system.
South Western Medicare Local (SWMML) will provide grants to eligible doctors of up to $30,000 for relocating to Wyndham and up to $40,000 to set up a new practice.
SWMML CEO Gaylene Coulton said an increase in the number of GPs and specialists would bring many benefits to the area.
“We are currently experiencing a shortage of doctors and specialists in Wyndham and I welcome these incentives as another way to encourage doctors to relocate to our area,” Ms Coulton said.
Ms Coulton said considerable growth in Wyndham over recent years had put increasing pressure on services provided by medical practitioners.
“South Western Melbourne is a vibrant and thriving area – a great place to live, work and raise a family,” she said.
“Because there has been so much growth in the area, health services are really stretched. These grants will provide extra assistance to doctors and specialists planning a move out of inner metropolitan Melbourne.”
A recent Health Needs Analysis of Wyndham by SWMML highlighted the need for more specialist services in Wyndham.
“We have a strong demand for expanded specialist health services, including chronic pain management, medical oncology, immunology and allergies, cardiology and gastroenterology,” Ms Coulton said.
Applications for the grants are now open and will be received until close of business on Friday 22November. An application for the grant does not guarantee approval.
GPs and specialists who are currently working full-time, part-time or are temporarily are out of the workforce are eligible to apply for the grants which are funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health.
For more information contact Jacqui Horwood at jhorwood@swmml.org.au or on 8731 6532.
