IMGs, marginal seats and the pork barrel: Will Mark Butler want to change his failing workforce policy?
It is now recommending that smaller GP catchment areas are used to establish DPA status instead of the MMM.
It is arguable the most controversial health policy decisions made by the Albanese Government, one which to its critics at least looks like a form of pork-barrelling.
We are talking about the decision two years ago to radically increase the number of communities given distribution priority area (DPA) status.
It suddenly meant communities in regional centres, large rural towns and even on the outskirts of cities could attempt to fix their doctor shortages by bringing in IMGs given access to Medicare under the ten year moratorium.
With the desperation for doctors now common across Australia, it was welcomed by many, including doctors.
