Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to deliver these summing-up remarks in relation to the Health Insurance Amendment (National Rural Health Commissioner) Bill 2017—indeed, particularly as I was the minister at the time who announced this. I place on record my congratulations to the member for Lyne, Dr Gillespie—the good Dr Dave—for the work he has done in making this a reality. He has done a tremendous job.

This bill will amend the Health Insurance Act 1973 for the purpose of establishing Australia's first National Rural Health Commissioner. This government recognises the many challenges of delivery, access and provision of health services in rural, regional and remote Australia. The most pressing concern is a lack of access to training for doctors and health professionals who practice outside of our major cities. Establishing the National Rural Health Commissioner will ensure this issue is front and centre of the government's rural health agenda. The National Rural Health Commissioner will be an independent statutory office holder who will champion the cause of rural health, provide expert advice to government and report directly to the responsible minister for rural health. The first priority of the National Rural Health Commissioner will be to develop a national rural generalist pathway which will improve access to training for doctors in rural, regional and remote Australia and consider options for appropriate remuneration for rural generalists.

In recognition of the importance of the commissioner's role, the government has introduced its own amendments that will clarify the scope of the commissioner's role and review the role 12 months before cessation and, finally, an amendment that will direct the commissioner to consider the advice of the Rural Health Stakeholder Roundtable and the Distribution Working Group. The two other amendments of this bill are the repeal of sections 3GC and 19AD of the Health Insurance Act 1973. Repealing section 3GC of the act will remove the duplication of functions between the Medical Training Review Panel and the National Medical Training Advisory Network. It will also simplify legislation in the Health portfolio. Under section 19AD, a review was required every five years into the operation of the Medicare provider legislation in the Health Insurance Act 1973. These previous reviews have been costly, time consuming and resource intensive and have not provided any operational improvements to the application of the legislation.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all senators for their contributions to this bill. Appointing the National Rural Health Commissioner is an important step forward in the government's aim to improve the access and provision of health services for all Australians who live outside of our major cities. On behalf of the government, I would like to thank the many rural health stakeholders and organisations around the nation, many of whom I have worked with, who have welcomed our decision to establish a National Rural Health Commissioner. We are looking forward to working closely with the commissioner, rural health stakeholders and organisations over the coming years to achieve our shared aim of delivering a quality standard of health care for our rural, regional and remote communities. I commend the bill to the Senate.