GOONDIWINDI medico Sue Masel has delivered a rousing speech at this morning's Rural Doctors Association of Queensland conference in Brisbane, urging her members to reflect on how they have helped improve medical care in the bush during the last quarter-century.
Doctors from all across Queensland are gathering in the city this weekend for RDAQ's 25th annual conference, celebrating past achievements and planning for a new, challenging era in the wake of the federal government's austerity measures and a new health framework launched by the state government yesterday.
"There is a history to share. There is a lot to celebrate, there is still a whole lot to do," Dr Masel told delegates to officially open the milestone event.
"I hope each of you will take the opportunity to press the pause button in your busy lives this weekend. To stop for a while and acknowledge all the great work rural doctors in Queensland have done over the past 25 years and to have your say about the next 25 years."
Today marks Dr Masel's last day in the president's role, before she hands over to RDAQ president-elect Professor Tarun Sen Gupta, of James Cook University, Townsville at this afternoon's AGM.
Dr Masel said her 12-month term had seen a busy year for RDAQ, in which membership had grown to nearly 300 doctor members with voting rights, plus associate members from other allied medical fields.
"We have supported our members through the doctor contract negotiations and the contract roll-out by the hospital and health services," she said.
"We have worked on a lot of other issues such as flying surgical services and Medicare billing in Queensland Health hospitals.
"We have responded to the federal Budget proposals and are working through the state Budget announcements of earlier this week."
Dr Masel's assessment of RDAQ's performance comes as the state government crystalises its plans for rural health care. Health Minister Lawrence Springborg yesterday launched two documents at the Rural Press Club in Brisbane, Better Health for the Bush and the Queensland Rural and Remote Health Service Framework.
Delivering a short address to RDAQ delegates this morning via video, Mr Springborg said the documents were a blueprint for putting patients first with local control for better health performance.
"We are designing health care services that fit the local communities of rural Queensland," he said.
Mr Springborg will attend the final day of the conference tomorrow, where he will join a lively forum expected to press him for more details on the future of rural health under the Newman government's reforms.
