![Des Harry and his galah Percy, at home in Blackall. Des is looking at moving away, thanks to the revolving door of doctors. Picture: Sally Gall Des Harry and his galah Percy, at home in Blackall. Des is looking at moving away, thanks to the revolving door of doctors. Picture: Sally Gall](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/88uitQDCBZnXA8enwGJ5Zd/409a899e-0d14-4a42-8612-e1d5b7705088.jpg/r0_62_4000_2311_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Blackall residents are moving away from the community they've been part of for years, such is the exasperation they have with the disjointed medical service they're receiving under the current reliance on locums to fill the gaping hole of no permanent doctors.
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The central west town, and its eastern neighbour Tambo, totalling 1500 people, have been without permanent doctors for more than a year, and people say they're putting off appointments with locums because of the time it takes to re-explain symptoms each time.
The ramifications of the lack of continuity of service have prompted a social media campaign to bring senior medical officers back to the region.
Designed to show how enjoyable living in a place far away from city traffic snarls but surrounded by city services is, it will need to have immediate effect for people like retiree artist Des Harry.
Mr Harry, 73, moved to Blackall seven years ago for a country lifestyle but is preparing to put his home on the market and move back to Victoria and nearby health services, after three 16-hour round trips to Townsville to receive a prostate cancer diagnosis.
"Blackall's a good little town, I haven't wanted for anything, but everything you need for your health, you have to travel to the east," he said.
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He also recounted the frustration of having shoulder pain and having one doctor send him away for scans, only to have another doctor review them and dismiss him without explanation.
"The lass who did the scan said I had a tendon coming over the bone and I should be careful rubbing it," he said. "I just live with the pain now."
Mr Harry said he was very grateful to the doctors who came to Blackall, but the need to continually reiterate his circumstances and symptoms was more than he could tolerate.
Sometimes 10 minutes of a 15-minute appointment is spent familiarising a new doctor with everything that's gone before.
"We were fortunate enough to have Dr Bruce here for years - he knew your history and would talk about your problem but know about everything else," Mr Harry said. "You knew he was following up with everything."
He said the last locum he'd spoken to was while they were both flying to Blackall.
"He'd flown from Perth and before that he'd been somewhere up in the north of Australia," he said. "I suppose he's just responding to what's offered."
The salary packages being offered for the four doctors the Central West Hospital and Health Service hopes to recruit to the Blackall-Tambo region equates to a combined $2 million, or $500,000 each, including accommodation, subsidised utilities and extra leave.
Doctor salary levels in the state's central west are in line with relevant statewide medical officer awards, and the salaries are budgeted permanent positions.
![The general practice at Blackall is incorporated into the new $20m hospital. Picture supplied. The general practice at Blackall is incorporated into the new $20m hospital. Picture supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/88uitQDCBZnXA8enwGJ5Zd/5d0fe9d7-50c5-4144-993d-963cde81cd1e.jpg/r0_430_6240_3952_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A Queensland Health spokesperson said its medical officers received an attraction and retention allowance, and medical officers in rural and remote areas receive an additional regional and rural attraction allowance of 5-15 per cent according to the remoteness classification of the location.
In addition to these incentive allowances, an inaccessibility allowance of up to $48,300 per annum can be provided depending on their location.
Central West Hospital and Health Service Acting Chief Executive and Executive Director of Medical Services Dr David Walker said they had been very fortunate to have had access to locums who have been delivering excellent services to the Blackall and Tambo communities while they had tried to recruit to the vacant positions.
"But we know having permanent doctors available is a priority for the Blackall and Tambo communities and we are happy to work with council to help recruit new doctors to the area," he said. "As well as offering an attractive lifestyle, Blackall also offers doctors the opportunity to work in our new, state-of-the-art $20.11 million hospital and general practice that opened in November 2020."
Dr Walker said recruiting and retaining senior medical officers with the additional skills and personal mindset needed to work in country towns had become increasingly difficult in recent years, with shortages experienced across many remote services.
"The Central West HHS is committed to providing excellence in health care, which requires a safe, engaged, valued and skilled workforce,'' he said.
"Pre-pandemic, the central west was very much regarded as an attractive place for doctors to work, train, and get valuable experience in rural and remote medicine.
"With the easing of the pandemic around Australia we hope to be able to recruit more broadly to fill all vacant positions as they occur on a permanent basis wherever possible and as quickly as possible."