The Rural Doctors' Association of Queensland (RDAQ) said the country's rural health system needs a boost to the tune of $1 billion additional budget per year and 2,000 additional doctors.

A corresponding number of nurses and allied health staff is also needed, according to RDAQ president Dan Halliday.

The Rural Doctors Association (RDAA) said problems afflicting the rural health system are the availability of health care professionals and costly travel and accommodation.

A report on Australia's rural health system showed that more than 54 percent of rural Australians are in the GP waiting list for one or more weeks with some waiting half a year to see a specialist.

Rural Australians also have to travel 100 miles to see a doctor and 1,243 miles to obtain cancer services, the report said.

Without doctors, some patients are forced to consult accident and emergency units.

These [findings] are extremely worrying findings should not be occurring in a first world country like Australia, News-medical.net quoted RDAA President Dr. Nola Maxfield as saying.

The RDAQ said the major parties vying in the upcoming elections should address the problems of health care in remote and regional parts of Australia.

Australia Healthcare