Listen to the song made to attract GPs to Blackall, and the Cook's story

Or that you've survived ovarian cancer but have to make regular 400 kilometre round trips with a toddler in tow to see the same GP for your latest pregnancy.

This is what Blackall couple Tony and Samantha Cook have been going through, all because their local community has no permanent GP.

The last full-time doctor left over 12 months ago, meaning the Central Western Hospital and Health Service has since had to rely on locums to deliver services to both Blackall and the people of Tambo, 100km to the east.

It's prompted a social media campaign highlighting the western Queensland towns' lifestyle and attributes, via a rock n roll tune that was released last week.

CWHHS executive director of medical services Dr David Walker is aware of the importance of permanent doctors for the towns, saying it was a priority for both Queensland Health and the communities.

He added that recruitment and retention of senior medical officers that had the skills and mindset needed to work in country towns was increasingly difficult and that shortages were being experienced across many remote services.

That's cold comfort for the Cooks, who moved to Blackall three years ago.

Tony's grade 4 gliosarcoma means he needs consistent access to a GP.

Every time he has to answer the same questions being put by a new locum is stress he doesn't need.

"It's not that great a feeling," he said.

He's not critical of the locums themselves - he says they are 'lumbered' with the circumstances, meaning they don't know any of the patients who present to them - but said it would just be good to deal with a doctor that knew his history.

In addition to having to relive his diagnosis and treatment over and over with each new doctor, appointments invariably run over time, meaning the patients next in line are kept waiting.

Sam's history of ovarian cancer meant she had to have more appointments and scans than is normal in a pregnancy, and the only way she could guarantee continuity of care was to drive to Longreach and back each time, a round trip of 400km.

"When you're getting towards the end of the pregnancy, it's a big day, especially with a toddler as well," she said. "It doesn't seem like much but it is."

Even so, they don't want to live anywhere else, such is the mantle of care the community has thrown around them.

"I had a brain operation just before Christmas and basically the whole community was out doing raffles and fundraising - it was unbelievable," Tony said.

"We came here because the housing was cheap at the time, and the crime rate is so low.

"Where else do you get that in Australia - you don't."

He said that rather than them contemplating a move away, prospective doctors should think about the difference moving to Blackall would make to their lives.

"They'd be amazed at such a beautiful town they're going to be moving to," he said. "Not (being) afraid and having to lock your doors every night in case, like you do in the city."

There are four vacant positions for senior medical officers for the area and CWHHS acute health services general manager Karen McLellan said the communities "just want a resident GP living here, living and breathing what we do out here in the central west".

That was backed up by Blackall-Tambo mayor Andrew Martin who said consistency of healthcare for the people putting food on Australia's plate and clothes on their backs was urgently needed.

"We do need the comfort of consistency, to encourage people to look after themselves," he said.

Dr Walker said that as well as offering an attractive lifestyle, Blackall also offered doctors the opportunity to work in a new, state-of-the-art $20.11 million hospital and general practice that opened in November 2020.

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