Goldfields-Esperance has second-lowest number of resident medical specialists in regional WA

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Goldfields-Esperance has second-lowest number of resident medical specialists in regional WA

A new health report says the Goldfields-Esperance has the second-lowest number of resident medical specialists in regional WA.

Rural Health West’s Profile of the Rural Resident Specialist Workforce 2024 says there are 205 specialists across regional WA — 12 more than the previous year and 28 per cent higher than a decade ago.

The study found more than half were internationally trained, the average age was 52, and the most common specialties were paediatrics, general surgery and emergency medicine.

However, the Goldfields-Esperance region had only 5.4 per cent of the rural resident specialist population, with 11 workers residing in the area — three specialists in general medicine, one in general surgery, two in obstetrics/gynaecology, four in paediatrics, and one in psychiatry.

That was the second-lowest in the State — having seven more specialists than the Wheatbelt.

Currently, the South West has the most specialists, with 95 workers making up 46.3 per cent of the regional total.

The study also said South West specialists remained in the region for nine years on average, 1.2 years more than the average length of time of those in the Goldfields-Esperance region.

However, in 2020 there were only four medical specialists who worked and resided in the Goldfields-Esperance, and the region has had a 1.4-year increase of its length of residence since 2021.

Rural Health West chief executive Catherine Elliott said she was heartened to see growth in the Goldfields-Esperance region’s health professionals but believed there was still room for improvement to increase the region’s workforce.

“It’s heartening to see gradual growth in the number of resident specialists in the Goldfields and even more encouraging to see the average length of stay increasing,” she said.

“However, we need to see continued investment in rural training pathways, housing, partner support and supervision if we want to attract and retain the next generation of specialists to the regions.”

The data within the study was gathered at the census date of September 30, 2024.

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