Petition

The petition of residents of the State of Queensland draws to the
attention of the House that: over the past two years a significant number
of General Practitioners servicing the Broadwater Electorate have closed
their doors or are no longer taking on new patients. This has put an
increased strain on the remaining doctors and caused considerable concern
to local residents who no longer have a doctor and are having difficulty
finding a new one. Despite these concerns the Health Insurance Commission
has now advised local doctors that the Runaway Bay area is not defined as
a District of Workforce Shortage, which may have assisted in attracting
more doctors to the area.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to Advise the Federal
Government that the shortage of General Practitioners in the Runaway Bay
area is significantly impacting on local residents and the remaining
doctors, and request that the Federal Government declare this a District
of Workforce Shortage in an attempt to attract more doctors.