Mr FARMER (2:21 PM) —My question is addressed to the Minister for Ageing representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister advise the House of the progress of the government's outer metropolitan doctors scheme and how this scheme will benefit areas like my electorate of Macarthur?

Mr ANDREWS (Minister for Ageing) —I thank the member for Macarthur for his question. In this year's budget, the government announced the `More doctors for outer metropolitan areas' measure, which is aimed at increasing the number of general practitioners and doctors who practise in the outer metropolitan areas of the six state capital cities. This measure entails a commitment of expenditure of some $80 million over four years, which will bring about an increase of about 150 practising doctors in outer metropolitan areas.

The scheme, which is scheduled to start on 1 January next year, involves three specific parts. First, it allows specialist trainees and researchers to work in supervised general practice programs and trainees to work after hours. Second, it requires doctors undertaking the general stream of general practice training to train in designated outer metropolitan areas. Third, it allows selected other medical practitioners who undertake vocational registration programs and agree to work in designated outer metropolitan areas to become eligible for higher Medicare rebates.

The honourable member for Macarthur asked how this scheme would be of advantage to his electorate. Indeed, the announcement of this scheme and the implementation of it in the coming months are extremely timely for the honourable member's electorate. Earlier this year, at very short notice, the local doctor in the township of Bringelly—which has a population of about 2,000 people and a surrounding population of some 4,500 people—left the township. The member for Macarthur, in association with other residents of that township and the area,has been working to ensure that general practice is provided to the residents of Bringelly. So I am happy to be able to indicate to the honourable member today that the Minister for Health and Ageing has asked the department to fast-track this scheme, particularly in relation to doctors who undertake work in outer metropolitan areas, and to bring it online, if at all possible, sooner than 1 January next year.

I notice that the shadow minister for health acknowledged recently that it is only targeted measures like this—targeted measures towards regional and rural areas of Australia—that bring about an improvement as far as health is concerned. The targeted measures that this government has implemented have been successful. For example, if one looks at the number of general practitioners in rural and regional Australia, in the three years from 1997 to 2000 there was an increase in the numbers from 5,700 to 6,363. That sort of substantial increase is because of the measures undertaken by this government to ensure that health services flow to all Australians, and we are confident that this measure for outer metropolitan regions of our capital cities will also bring about an improvement in doctor services for people in those areas.