The NSW Government is improving access to healthcare for people living in rural and regional communities, providing financial assistance to 26,287 patients from Hunter New England Local Health District in the past year through the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS).
IPTAAS provides financial assistance to patients who need to travel long distances for specialist healthcare not available locally.
NSW patients have also received more money back in their pockets thanks to increased subsidies, with the average reimbursement per patient higher than ever before at $482.
In the 2023-24 financial year, $48,885,696 was provided in IPTAAS claims across NSW, helping 41,417 patients access specialist health treatment.
Reducing the financial burden for country patients to travel for their healthcare is just part of a comprehensive range of measures the NSW Government is embracing to improve access to care in our regional, rural and remote communities, including:
- Delivering more health worker accommodation in the bush;
- Doubling rural health worker incentives for the most critical and hard to fill positions to improve recruitment and retention;
- Boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the single employer model; and
- Deploying an extra 500 regional paramedics.
State Member for the Electorate of Cessnock, Clayton Barr said:
“We know that people living in the Electorate of Cessnock sometimes have to travel a long way for specialist care. The financial assistance they get through IPTAAS not only helps cover the costs of travel and accommodation, but it can also mean the difference between seeking care or not.”
“The IPTAAS makes it easier for people in regional areas to access specialist healthcare not available locally.”
“More people are accessing IPTAAS than ever before and they’re getting more money back in their pocket thanks to increased subsidies.”