Residents across Western and Far West NSW will now have access to a free virtual healthcare service designed to provide care for non-life-threatening conditions.

While this service is expected to relieve some of the pressure on emergency departments and hospitals, the ongoing shortage of medical professionals in regional areas remains a significant challenge.

The new virtual care service, available from 8am to 10pm daily for people aged 16 and over, aims to assist those suffering from common ailments such as coughs, fevers, respiratory symptoms, minor infections, and rashes.

The introduction of virtual care is part of a broader push to alleviate strain on hospitals, with significant investments in urgent care services, emergency department short stay units, and ambulance efficiency improvements.

However, the service is not intended to replace the need for on-site medical staff in regional communities, where shortages continue to be a major concern.

Roy Barwon, Member for Barwon, emphasised the importance of virtual care as a supplementary service rather than a substitute for in-person healthcare.

“It isn’t meant to be a replacement for on-site health workers, of which there is still a major shortage in many regional, rural, and remote areas, but it is meant to deal with some of the problems with the health system," Mr Butler said.

"In some towns in Barwon, there are no regular GP services, forcing people to either travel hundreds of kilometres or to turn up at the ED of their local hospital or medical centre.

"Having some alternative, albeit online, will prevent people having to travel for medical attention, reduce the number of people presenting at an ED, and take some of the pressure off overworked hospital staff.”

Positive Steps in Rural Healthcare Recruitment

While medical workforce shortages persist, there have been promising signs in regional recruitment.

The NSW Government's decision to double the financial incentives under the Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme from $10,000 to $20,000 led to a 20 per cent surge in health worker recruitment and retention last year.

Since the scheme’s launch in 2022, 1,628 health workers have been recruited, and 9,447 have been retained in critical rural and regional positions.

One of those individuals is Soumya Baby, a registered nurse at Gilgandra Multi-Purpose Service, who relocated from New Zealand to Gilgandra with her family through the NSW Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme in November 2023.

Soumya Baby is enjoying her time in the Western Plains, thanks to the Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme.

Ms Baby began her career training, working and educating general nursing students in her home country of India, before moving to Dubai and then New Zealand, where she worked as a maternity, paediatric, COVID-19, aged-care and emergency nurse.

“It has always been my dream to come to Australia, and the incentive scheme helped us financially to relocate and settle here,” Ms Baby said.

“This is the best decision that I have made.

"I am earning my salary with additional benefits to help my family and me to start our lives here in Gilgandra.

“The community at Gilgandra is lovely, and I have not been made to feel ‘new’ at work, with my colleagues supporting me along the way.

"Coming from Dubai, I am now getting to spend more time with my family, so we are very happy. It’s the best thing, and I plan to continue in Gilgandra.”

While the introduction of virtual healthcare is a positive development that will help ease hospital congestion and provide an alternative for those without immediate access to a GP, it does not solve the long-term problem of medical workforce shortages in regional areas.

The increased investment in rural healthcare recruitment is a step in the right direction, but continued efforts are needed to ensure communities across Western NSW have reliable, in-person healthcare options.

For now, residents can take advantage of the virtual service for minor ailments, knowing that more efforts are being made to strengthen healthcare services across the region.

You can access this service by phoning HealthDirect on 1800 022 222 where patients will first speak to a registered nurse who will assess your condition, and if appropriate, refer you to the virtual care service.