The Illawarra Shoalhaven region will benefit from a major boost to its local medical workforce – with 76 of medical graduate interns starting work in local public hospitals this month – the Minister for Health Ryan Park announced on Thursday.
Interns are medical graduates who have completed their medical degree and are required to complete a supervised year of practice in order to become independent practitioners.
The interns will work with and learn from NSW Health’s experienced and highly skilled medical staff in one of the world’s best health systems.
The new doctors starting their internship will be entering a training program with networked hospitals throughout the state, providing formal and on-the-job training.
They receive two-year contracts to rotate between metropolitan, regional and rural hospitals to ensure the diversity of their experience.
They also rotate across different specialties during the intern year, including surgery, medicine and emergency medicine.
The NSW Government is undertaking an ambitious plan to rebuild the state’s health workforce, including through:
- Implementing safe staffing levels of nurses and midwives beginning in our emergency departments;
- saving 1,112 temporary nurses by making them permanent;
- abolishing the wages cap and delivering record pay increases for nurses, paramedics and other health workers as well as salary packaging;
- beginning to roll out 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural and remote communities; and
- doubling the health worker study subsidies.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
“Unfortunately, we can’t undo 12 years of wage suppression and lack of investment in our health professionals, but we are determined to rebuild. The previous Government has left our health services in the Illawarra stretched and under-resourced so we’re incredibly focused on supporting and strengthening our workforce.
“The past couple of years have been a challenge for our local Illawarra health teams who have felt left behind and neglected by the Liberals and Nationals.
“When we provide boosts like this to our workforce, we improve health outcomes and build healthier and safer communities, it’s as simple as that.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Wollongong Paul Scully:
“Over the last decade health services in the Illawarra, particularly at Wollongong Hospital, have been under considerable pressure. The addition of 76 new medical graduate interns to the region’s public health system will help alleviate some of that pressure in the interests of patients, families and other staff.
“I look forward to seeing the skills of these new doctors develop and thrive in an environment where they will gain a range of experiences under the guidance of our region’s other highly-skilled health professionals.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson:
“I welcome our latest medical graduate interns to this wonderful and fast-growing region and hope they have a fantastic experience at Shellharbour and other hospitals across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.
“The Minns Labor Government is committed to taking pressure off our hard-working hospital staff and on behalf of my community in Shellharbour, I thank all medical graduates beginning their internships this year.”
Quotes attributable to Member for South Coast Liza Butler:
“I am thrilled to see 76 junior doctors starting their training our region. The previous government failed to adequately invest in our health care professionals.
“I am proud to be part of the Minns Labor Government that is getting on with the job and putting people first.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Heathcote Maryanne Stuart:
“I am so excited to welcome these dedicated medical graduate interns to our Illawarra region, especially after the lack of investment in our health professionals from the previous Government.
“I am proud to be part of the Minns Labor Government that is prioritising health within the Illawarra region.”
Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Kiama Sarah Kaine MLC:
“We know we need more healthcare workers in the Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD and these 76 medical graduate interns will be a welcome boost to the local healthcare workforce.”
