Health experts in Far North Queensland have told an inquiry into the state's health services that the region's hospital and allied health services are overrun, underfunded and in dire need of support.
It comes as the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service recorded an increase in emergency department presentations of 8.7 per cent last financial year.
Speaking in Cairns at a public hearing of the Health and Environment Committee, Edward Strivens, the clinical director of the Older Persons Health Service, said the issue was worsened by an inability to recruit general practitioners in regional Queensland.
Dr Strivens said similar issues had been faced when recruiting a GP in Tully, south of Cairns.
He said a doctor in South Africa was earmarked for the position, but due to Australia's border closures, the candidate was unable to travel to sit additional qualifying exams.
Dr Strivens said the region's health service was also struggling to deal with an ageing population.
He told the inquiry that about 2,000 people were seeking dementia treatment in the Far North, with the closest specialist care being more than 700 kilometres south in Mackay.
"Those with the most severe [symptoms] cannot be managed without mainstream aged care," he said.
Dr Strivens said while the My Aged Care services had allowed more older people to seek care at home, the program was in such high demand that some people were waiting more than a year to access it.
"There are long wait times for home-care packages and clients need reassessment because they're waiting 12 months [for services], sometimes more," he said.
Mental health a major concern
North Queensland Primary Health Network (PHN) chief executive Robin Whyte said mental health was a growing concern in the Cairns region, which had a higher rate of suicide than any other hospital region in the state.
"North Queensland is over-represented … with high male and Aboriginal and Indigenous suicides," Ms Whyte said.
Distribution of services was a major concern with very few mental health practitioners working in regional and remote First Nations communities.
Ms Whyte said not enough action was being taken to get First Nation leaders involved in developing culturally appropriate care.
When member for Toowoomba North Trevor Watts asked Ms Whyte what more could be done, she said she wanted to see more support for Cairns students to be able to study health careers locally so they could remain in north Queensland, rather than move away to study and work.
Uni supports homegrown approach
A submission tabled in the hearing by James Cook University recommended additional support for education services outside the south-east corner.
Professor of nursing Caryn West said while the cost of a health degree was not necessarily high, it was often a challenge for students to cover travel and accommodation services for their placements.
"For some health students … accommodation is provided but for midwifery and allied health students, it's not," she said.
Professor West said sourcing accommodation had become increasingly difficult since the pandemic struck.
"We have some students [staying] together in a caravan park," she said.
The inquiry continues tomorrow in Mossman and sits in Townsville on Wednesday.
The committee is due to table its report at the end of March.
