GP policy could be a "double-edged sword" for Tasmania

To address Australia's GP shortage, the federal government last week expanded distribution priority area status to include regional and outer metropolitan areas.

The change gives overseas-trained doctors greater choice over where they work.

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Deloraine Medical Centre chief executive Goran Mujkic said doctors would now likely choose Hobart or Launceston over rural areas.

"Now that Hobart's opened up its doors to DPA doctors, I don't think they'll be going anywhere else but Hobart," he said.

"The only thing that keeps me ticking is the thought that Hobart can only take so many new doctors before they have to go somewhere else."

Mr Mujkic's practice is reliant on overseas trained doctors, who make up nine of the 11 GPs employed.

"We're not keeping up at all. We get very desperate for doctors and staff, nurses as well ... getting doctors and retaining doctors, is a huge burden on us for sure. It's not easy," he said.

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HR+ Tasmania chief executive Peter Barns said between 70 and 90 per cent of doctors in rural Tasmania were trained overseas. In Hobart and Launceston it was less than 50 per cent.

"If it's just robbing Peter to pay Paul, if it's just going to be those who would normally go to Deloraine go to Hobart, then we're in a bit of trouble. However, if the government has other ideas about increasing the pool overall, then Deloraine and Hobart might both benefit," he said.

"If the pool stays the same, then people will move from more remote areas into places with more opportunities ... As a country, we need to be building the pool or making the pool deeper."

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Mr Barns said fast-tracking permanent residency, increasing remuneration and providing more opportunities for spouses and children could help attract and retain GPs to rural Tasmania.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Tasmanian chairman Dr Tim Jackson said the expansion could be a "double-edged sword" for Tasmania.

"The problem will be that there's still no extra incentive for them to go out to work rural and remotely," he said.

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Internationally-trained doctors do between two and three years of training and pay between $30,000 and $50,000 to become independent GPs in Australia, Dr Jackson said.

The RACGP has lobbied the federal government to assist in training costs and immigration requirements.

Federal health minister Mark Butler said the government was investing $146 million to attract health workers to regional Australia, which would improve training and incentives.

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