The Queensland government is offering up to $70,000 for medical practitioners to relocate to the state in a desperate move to address staff shortages in the state.
Up to $20,000 is available for a range of health workers who relocate to anywhere in the state, with an additional $50,000 up for grabs for medical practitioners who move to regional or rural areas.
The announcement by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk comes a day after the state flagged incentives to cover relocation costs for interstate and international police officers.
‘With global competition for health workers at an all-time high, our government is dedicated to doing everything that we can to attract and retain frontline health workers,’ Ms Palaszczuk said in Cairns on Wednesday.
In a move to bolster public sector staff, the Queensland government is offering up to $70,000 for health workers to relocate to the state, the day after it offered police officers $20,000 to do the same
Up to $20,000 is available for a range of health workers who relocate to anywhere in the state, with an additional $50,000 up for grabs for medical practitioners who move to regional or rural areas
‘Our government is committed to delivering more frontline health workers right across Queensland.
‘Since 2015 across Queensland we’ve hired over 17,000 extra frontline workers, and we want to see this grow.’
Under the scheme, interstate and international healthcare workers now can move to Queensland, including the south-east, and receive a $10,000 incentive when they start.
Another $10,000 will then be paid after a year of work.
Eligible workers include doctors, nurses, specialists, dentists and allied health professionals.
Medical practitioners who move to rural or remote areas will receive an additional $25,000 after three months, and then another $25,000 after a year.
This payment is available to those already working in Queensland.
Interstate and international medical practitioners will be eligible for both payments and stand to benefit by an additional $70,000 if they move to Queensland.
Eligible workers include doctors, nurses, specialists, dentists and allied health professionals
Boosting the Queensland Health workforce meant authorities had to ‘think outside of the square’, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.
‘Innovative policies like this means every dollar works hard for Queenslanders delivering the right care at the right time, in the right place,’ she said.
‘We welcome healthcare workers to experience why we all love Queensland while also making a new life delivering positive results and peace of mind for our regional and remote communities.’
Ms D’ath had been under fire over health service delivery in the state following a 300-day birthing bypass at Gladstone Hospital meaning expecting mothers were being transferred to Rockhampton Hospital over an hour away to give birth.
The Minister vowed maternity ward services would be restored by the middle of the year.
On Tuesday, Queensland Police also announced a $90 million recruitment drive to address police employment shortages.
It includes incentives such as paying up to $20,000 for the relocation costs of police officers from interstate or overseas.
Up to 400 police recruit graduates with a university degree in psychology, criminology, social work, counselling or other human service-related fields can get $20,000 of their HECS debt paid.
