Report Highlights Health Shortfalls

December 19, 2022

More than a quarter of residents who responded to a Darling Downs Health survey needed tests or scans during the past year but did not access them.

The startling find that 27 per cent of respondents to the Local Area Needs Assessment (LANA) survey needed tests or scans was one of the Primary Care “service gaps” identified by Darling Downs Health.

The LANA survey results, released recently, also found that mental health and drug and alcohol services were the most frequently identified services that community members needed in the past 12 months but did not access.

The Darling Downs Health region – which includes all the South Burnett – also has 50 per cent fewer registered psychiatrists than the Queensland average and 35 per cent fewer psychologists.

“Most of these shortages are outside of Toowoomba,” the LANA report stated.

The LANA survey also found that the rural areas within the Darling Downs Health region have “particularly low rates of access to allied health services compared to the Queensland average”.

These allied health services include physiotherapy, speech therapy, social work, podiatry and occupational therapy.

All parts of the Darling Downs Health region, except Toowoomba, also have lower rates of access to specialist medical services than the rate across Queensland.

“Twenty-seven per cent of community members who completed the LANA survey needed a specialist medical service within the previous 12 months but didn’t access it,” the report stated.

These specialist services included cardiology, obstetrics and gynaecology and ophthalmology.

Oral health services were also difficult to access.

“The LANA survey showed that 19 per cent of community members needed an oral health service in the previous 12 months but didn’t access one,” the report stated.

“Oral health services can be more difficult for people to access because they aren’t publicly available for all adults.”

The number one systemic improvement identified was “workforce capability, supply and stability”.

“There is a global and national health workforce shortage and the shortfall is worse in rural and remote areas,” the report stated.

“By 2025, Australia is predicted to have a national shortfall of more than 100,000 nurses and 3000 doctors.

“These shortages can cause higher-than-usual rates of turnover and workforce instability.”

More than 300 community members and 600 Darling Downs Health staff and other stakeholders completed the survey in July and August this year.

Priority locations identified in the survey, ie. areas which were generally more disadvantaged, were “Kingaroy North” (including Wondai, Murgon and Cherbourg), Kingaroy township, Nanango region, Tara region and Stanthorpe township.

• Download the 2022 Darling Downs Health Local Area Needs Assessment Priorities report (16.7Mb PDF)

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