Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

In addition to these very important changes to the health workforce reforms, I will remind the Senate about our recent budget initiatives: $238.4 million over five years to double the Practice Incentives Program Teaching Payment for general practices that provide teaching opportunities to medical students; $52½ for a minimum of 175 grants for existing general practices in rural and regional settings to provide additional space for training, teaching; and $13.4 million over three years to support around 500 additional scholarships targeted to areas of workforce shortage; and an additional $6 million to current funding of the Royal Flying Doctor Service for essential services in rural and remote Australia. When it comes to improving rural health outcomes it is this government, unlike the previous, Labor, government, that is going to ensure that we get the right doctors with the right skills to the right places.