DOCTORS working on Macleay Island will be eligible for up to $23,000 in federal government funding, after the island was deemed a remote location.
Assistant Minister for Health Fiona Nash said Macleay Island was one of 450 rural and regional towns to receive greater incentives to attract GPs from July 1.
Ms Nash said the overhaul would provide a much fairer GP Rural Incentives Program, so smaller rural communities, such as Macleay Island, would more easily attract and retain GPs.
Under the new arrangements, Macleay Island is rankled as a category 5 remote community with the remotest community ranked as category 7.
In most cases, the maximum incentive to work in a town of less than 5000 in regional Australia will increase from $12,000 to $23,000.
The highest incentive paid to work in remote Australia will jump from $47,000 a year to $60,000.
Doctors at Macleay's Bay Island Medical Service on Russell Terrace will be able to apply for the incentive.
Their funding will range from $12,000 a year to $23,000 depending on the number of years they have worked on Macleay Island.
The incentives program, which comes into effect on July 1, was designed to crack down on towns where it was not difficult to attract doctors such as Townsville and Cairns.
To receive the money, doctors will have had to worked in the rural or regional area for two years, rather than the current six months.
Doctors in category 3 to 5 locations will get the money after providing Medicare services for eight active quarters.
“It is to deliver a fairer system for smaller towns; redirecting money to attract more doctors to smaller towns that have genuine difficulty attracting and retaining doctors," Ms Nash said.
"For decades, Australia's small rural towns have struggled to attract enough doctors. This change is one way we're tackling that. As a proud rural Australian, I'm pleased to have been able to deliver this important reform."
