![Walcha-based pharmacist Anna Barwick is a member of the Regional Health Ministerial Advisory Panel. Picture by Indigico Creative Walcha-based pharmacist Anna Barwick is a member of the Regional Health Ministerial Advisory Panel. Picture by Indigico Creative](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/164349425/ae7a8691-987a-4978-9f0e-b71d29962908.jpg/r0_0_3115_4666_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A WALCHA-based pharmacist, part of a panel advising the government on improvements to regional health, is "disappointed" the Labor party has not committed to keeping the body.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Anna Barwick hopes the decision may be revised, or that the information was incorrect from one of the Labor ministers.
The panel of healthcare experts across the state has gone into caretaker mode, but its existence after the votes are counted, is in question.
The Regional Health Ministerial Advisory Panel makes recommendations to regional health minister Bronnie Taylor, a position which is also up in the air.
During a recent Country Mayor's Association meeting, ALP regional transport and roads shadow minister Jenny Aitchison said the ministry, and the committee advising it, would not "at this stage" be retained.
READ MORE:
There have been discussions between the party and the panel that indicated interest in utilising their expertise, Mrs Barwick said.
The panel met for the final time in late-February before the March state election, where they were presented with pharmacist reforms influenced by the panel, she said.
"I hope that no matter who is in government, they follow through on the investment that has already occurred in some of these trials," she said.
A recommendation from the panel already put into practice, is pay equity for Junior Medical Officers across metropolitan and regional areas in relation to travel and accommodation support for placements, she said.
"One of our recommendations to the minister was to rectify that, so that rural and regional practice wasn't considered the poor cousin compared to metro practice," she said.
"Being able to see one of our recommendations be put straight into practice is very exciting, so we feel like there is more to be done, and we hope that will be considered by future governments.
"Because it does have that real potential to help people on the ground, because it's being informed by people who actually are in practice, and are very active in their communities."
While many issues in regional and rural healthcare are state-wide, Walcha and the New England struggles particularly with the decline in GP services and the amount of GPs on the ground, she said.
Workforce, and having the availability of a range of health professionals and GPs to take pressure off emergency departments and GP appointment wait times, are among her concerns.
After the election, she hopes to see access to care improve, and meet the standard of metropolitan care.
"I think that should be the ultimate goal," she said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News