The Fraser Coast has received the medical tick of approval with the lowest number of medical professional vacancies ever. Alistair Brightman
The Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service are ecstatic the Hervey Bay and Maryborough Hospital have been attracting top quality talent to the region in recent months.
WBHHS CEO Adrian Pennington said year-on-year nursing vacancies had dropped by 50% and specialist and doctor numbers were also doing well.
“We are in a really good place,” Mr Pennington said.
Traditionally it has been difficult for any regional hospital to attract medical staff due to the rarity of skills required and being unable to compete with bigger city hospitals.
But the health service appears to have hit on a winning combination.
“Our clinical directors have been working really well to improve our training opportunities,” he said.
Mr Pennington said doctors and specialists were often attracted to hospitals which gave them the opportunity to learn new skills from others.
The hospitals in the region are also developing a formidable reputation.
“Now the wait times are so low, we have been seen as an emboldened service,” he said.
“That is good for a doctor’s reputation especially since we have the lowest surgical wait times in Australia.”
A low wait time also means elective surgeries can be performed in a timely manner which improves the outcome for the patient.
The reduction in surgery waiting times has been an impressive feat.
Just three years ago, some patients were waiting up to three years for surgery to be performed.
Now only a handful of patients are treated outside of the recommended waiting time.
Mr Pennington said despite the low number of nursing vacancies, he expected the hospitals would still be able to employ a majority of nursing graduates from the region to help train the next generation.