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The Journal
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Journal
Quiz: How much do you know about Queen?
LEGENDARY QUEEN GUITARIST Brian May celebrated his 78th birthday yesterday. Besides his big hair, the musician is best known for founding the iconic rock band alongside the late Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining shortly afterwards. Advertisement So we thought we would test your knowledge of the group. Are you a champion, or will you bite the dust? In which year did Queen form as a band? Alamy 1965 1970 1975 1980 What was Freddie Mercury's birth name? Alamy Francis Avallone Florian de Bounevialle Farrokh Bulsara Peter Gene Hernandez Which song got the band their first number one hit in the US? Alamy Bohemian Rhapsody Radio Ga Ga Killer Queen Crazy Little Thing Called Love The famous I Want To Break Free music video was a parody of which long-running soap opera? Queen EastEnders Coronation Street Emmerdale Brookside Which of these statements is true about Queen's Greatest Hits albums, which was released in 1981? Alamy It is the longest 'greatest hits' album ever released by an artist All of the tracks on the album were re-recorded specifically for this record The band didn't make any money from its release It is the biggest-selling album in UK history Which of these Queen albums was released first? Alamy A Day at the Races Alamy A Night at the Opera Alamy A Kind of Magic Alamy News of the World Which of these Queen songs does not credit Brian May as a writer? Alamy Don't Stop Me Now Fat Bottomed Girls Who Wants To Live Forever We Will Rock You Brian May is known for his famous electric guitar the Red Special, which he built with his father when he was a teenager. But what does he use to play it? Alamy A toothpick A key A sixpence coin A normal guitar pick As well as being a guitarist, Brian May has a PhD in which of these fields? Alamy Astrophysics Engineering Medieval literature Zoology Finally, if you were listening to Bohemian Rhapsody- as you do - which of these lyrics would you hear latest in the song? Queen "He's just a poor boy from a poor family" "Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth" "I don't wanna die, I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all" "Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?" "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me" "Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here" "Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me" "Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time" Answer all the questions to see your result! Alamy You scored out of ! We Are The Champions No time for losers here! Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy You scored out of ! Don't Stop Me Now You're having such a good time, you nearly got them all right! Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy You scored out of ! Under Pressure Why don't you give yourself one more chance? You'll do better next time Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy You scored out of ! The Show Must Go On You may not have gotten many right, but your smile still stays on Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy You scored out of ! Another One Bites The Dust And another one wrong, and another one wrong... Share your result: Share Tweet Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How AI Enables Marketers To Target Digital-Savvy Gen Z Customers
Wolfgang Sixl, VP Strategy, Analytics & Client Solutions, MCE Systems - Bridging Technology and Commercialization. How can we understand the mindset of Gen Z consumers? We can ask Freddie Mercury. He seemed to anticipate their desire for immediate gratification when he wrote the song 'I Want It All.' Then, he nailed their longing for personalization with the song 'I Want To Break Free.' Obviously, the members of Queen were not thinking about the brand experiences of young digital consumers when they were penning lyrics 40 years ago. Nevertheless, these titles are uncannily relevant. Today's digital-savvy consumers are seeking not only customization, but also expediency. The data confirms it. According to a Salesforce consumer trend report, 81% of customers expect faster service as technology advances, and 73% expect better personalization. In response, companies are jockeying for a better position. They are exploring new technologies that grab attention and improve loyalty—and help them meet customers' demands. AI Makes It Personal This isn't a new trend. Marketers already use tools like programmatic digital ads to deliver custom promos, targeting users based on past brand interactions or shopping behavior. Now, AI tools are pushing this further. But mass customization marketing has had limited success, falling short of the true hyper-personalization consumers expect. Two years ago, it looked promising. ChatGPT dazzled with its capabilities, and 98% of companies felt a newfound urgency to adopt AI. Yet success remains elusive. While generating blogs, emails and ad copy is easy, creating personalized user journeys that drive real business results is another challenge entirely How can they change this? I think there are three key barriers to overcome: • Data Relevancy And Accuracy: In the marketing context, we want to prompt the customer to take an action. Here, AI engines can help. They can craft relevant offers calibrated to a user's specific tastes—but only if they are fed relevant and accurate enterprise-specific data. So, organizations must make sure the AI model has enough context to deliver the appropriate output. • Data Timeliness: Relevant data is only half the story. Data must be up to date too. Real-time user and market information is vital for personalization. Without it, we can imagine a scenario where an AI model advertises outdated offers or—worse—sends irrelevant promotions to customers who have already converted. • Execution: AI tools are new and unfamiliar to many organizations. It's very easy to implement a dysfunctional AI program. Common challenges in this space include aligning the tech to business objectives, overcoming staff resistance to change and ensuring the right people are leading the AI project. A Program To Prepare For Change To overcome the above challenges, stakeholders within a business must align. They must build guardrails that overcome model limitations, leverage enterprise-specific customer data and build an AI-native culture. Large enterprises should start by collecting enterprise data (which includes real-time and metadata) from their digital customer points of interaction. They can couple this with a basic LLM model to create a 'sandboxed' enterprise-grade AI application. The output of the resulting AI application will combine the customer's preference with live market data. Second, businesses must make sure their AI application is safe and focused—and avoids undesired outputs. They should prevent any exposure to malicious actors and make sure they follow all regulatory compliance to avoid violations and legal risks. Lastly, enterprises must unite all staff behind the new processes. This starts with senior leaders establishing a cohesive business-technology plan, and assembling the right team to manage the changes. The last point is vital. Workers across all industries are understandably anxious about AI. Nearly 60% of business leaders said in a survey this alarm was driven by a lack of knowledge. So organizations must foster a culture of openness to defuse employee concerns. A Success Story: Mobile Device Care For Mobile Carriers Even at this formative stage for AI, thousands of large enterprises are already seeing results. Javier Meza, Coca Cola's Europe CMO, shared last year how his company is using first-party data and AI to shift from a broad targeting style to a more consumer-centric approach. Mobile carriers are well-placed to follow this example. These businesses possess huge amounts of relevant real-time first-party data. Clearly, the raw materials are there to deliver personalized services that can drive loyalty, prevent churn and grow ARPU. Some carriers are already experimenting. Take the market for device care and upgrades, for example. Industry data that we see at my company shows that customers want intelligent, personalized offers when they encounter an issue with their device—such as a value added service (VAS) or a trade-in. But for years, this has been a clunky, manual process that has not served customers well. At MCE, we saw an opportunity to make device care digital and self-serve. First, we built a GenAI solution for chatbots in a mobile operator app. Then we connected it to an enterprise-grade application that sources live device data such as diagnostics, device configuration information and user conversational inputs. The final part was tapping into a carrier's existing marketing database, so we partnered with a third party to build out a chatbot for them. With this real-world application, we were able to reduce mobile app utility inertia, increase marketing promo actioning and drive more retail visit intent. When we applied GenAI to this solution, we noticed quite an uptick in engagement afterward—quadruple engagement with our pilot's custom journey, triple marketing promo engagement and nearly double the retail store locator opens. Conclusion AI is game-changing technology. It gives marketers the chance to deliver on the dream of genuine mass personalization. The examples are already out there. So, now is the time to get ahead of the game, embrace the tech, build a unified internal culture and give customers the products and services they deserve. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
The Advertiser
28-06-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
The $45,000 golden prescription to heal rural health
Unlimited fresh air and blue skies, a daily walk to work, a healthy drop of fine wine, two NRL games each year, an extra $45,000 in the bank and an idyllic life in "God's country". This is what the Mudgee community has prescribed to entice city doctors to the famed wine region in central western NSW in a bold bid to ease a dire shortage of GPs. "We like to call it their prescription for a better work lifestyle in the vines," Doctors 4 Mudgee Region program co-ordinator Kate Day, who is also a winemaker, tells AAP. The bucolic remedy has been enough to attract a new GP to the picturesque gold rush village of Gulgong, while a doctor from Queensland will return to work in Mudgee after training in the region. The push to get more doctors, complete with financial incentives provided by three mining companies, began after Gulgong's only GP left in early 2024 and clinics in nearby Mudgee closed their books. Locals began travelling to neighbouring towns - or even 260km to the city - to see a doctor, an experience familiar to many across rural Australia where there are only 78 full-time GPs per 100,000 population. After securing two new GPs, the region has an ambitious plan to lure 10 more from urban centres over the next three years in a sophisticated campaign that could inspire other towns. "What rural communities can take from this is locals, companies and businesses banding together, not sitting on their laurels and waiting for someone else to come in," Ms Day says. "It is community-led change." The Mudgee region's campaign, which also includes a "concierge" service linking doctors to childcare, schools, housing and even hairdressers, is one of many examples of country communities fighting for healthcare equity. Half a million Australians live in "GP deserts", receiving 40 per cent fewer services per person than the national average, according to research by the Grattan Institute. With poorer access to check-ups, screening and medication, the burden of chronic disease is higher in rural and remote areas and life expectancy is shorter. Fed-up and frustrated, many rural communities have gone to extreme lengths to bridge the gap. The WA Wheatbelt town of Quairading offered a $1 million salary package for a GP in 2023, while locals in Kerang, northern Victoria, parodied the Queen hit I Want To Break Free in a social media video called We Want a GP. When two long-time western NSW Bogan Shire GPs approached retirement in 2015, the council began operating a medical centre at a cost to ratepayers of between $600,000 and $900,000 per year. The Royal Flying Doctor Service has stepped in to run clinics in several rural towns, including Robinvale, in Victoria, where the only GP to 2500 people was under immense pressure. While these grassroots efforts are admirable, rural communities should not have to do the work of federal and state governments, Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges chair Sanjay Jeganathan says. "Australia is a wealthy nation and each and every Australian should receive the same kind of healthcare irrespective of their postcode," Associate Professor Jeganathan tells AAP. As a radiologist in Perth, Dr Jeganathan regularly sees patients who have travelled thousands of kilometres from Broome or Karratha. The council, which represents all 15 specialist medical colleges in Australia, believes a "grow your own" approach will boost the numbers of doctors in the bush. It has introduced guidelines for colleges to prioritise rural candidates for specialist training, as junior doctors from the bush are more likely to stay in the regions, as are those who get exposure to country life during their studies. "There is no point in training them in Sydney and Melbourne because the likelihood is they are going to stay in the big cities," Dr Jeganathan says. "We should be really putting our efforts into developing rural and regional training hubs with a selection of appropriate trainees to work there." The constant cry from the bush to train more doctors is slowly turning the tide. Australia's two GP colleges are oversubscribed for the first time in many years and more trainees are expressing a desire to work outside the cities, Rural Doctors Association president RT Lewandowski says. But once they arrive in the bush, a Medicare system designed for the city won't necessarily cover the cost of their work. Rural GPs tend to see fewer patients with more complex health conditions in longer consultations, while also possibly working across clinics, hospital wards and emergency departments. Those things partly contribute to an estimated $6.5 billion annual spending shortfall on rural health. "There is a tremendous underspend ... on rural patients," Dr Lewandowski says. "Our mortality is still determined by our postcode." Dr Lewandowski was among of a group of doctors who visited Canberra in late June, imploring national leaders to help train more doctors and fix "piecemeal" rural health funding. The message is being heard, with the federal government delivering more doctor training places as a start. "I don't think the government is closing their eyes to the problem but it's going to be a hard change," Dr Lewandowski says. "We should have an ample supply of GPs but I don't see that realistically coming super soon." In Mudgee, the local campaign is proving successful if a little frustrating. "You do look and think 'wow, this is a major problem, what is our state and federal government doing?'" Ms Day says. "But it doesn't matter what problem you have in life, if you want to fix it, you've got to go out there and do it yourself. "That's what country towns do so well, they just pull up their sleeves and get on with it." Unlimited fresh air and blue skies, a daily walk to work, a healthy drop of fine wine, two NRL games each year, an extra $45,000 in the bank and an idyllic life in "God's country". This is what the Mudgee community has prescribed to entice city doctors to the famed wine region in central western NSW in a bold bid to ease a dire shortage of GPs. "We like to call it their prescription for a better work lifestyle in the vines," Doctors 4 Mudgee Region program co-ordinator Kate Day, who is also a winemaker, tells AAP. The bucolic remedy has been enough to attract a new GP to the picturesque gold rush village of Gulgong, while a doctor from Queensland will return to work in Mudgee after training in the region. The push to get more doctors, complete with financial incentives provided by three mining companies, began after Gulgong's only GP left in early 2024 and clinics in nearby Mudgee closed their books. Locals began travelling to neighbouring towns - or even 260km to the city - to see a doctor, an experience familiar to many across rural Australia where there are only 78 full-time GPs per 100,000 population. After securing two new GPs, the region has an ambitious plan to lure 10 more from urban centres over the next three years in a sophisticated campaign that could inspire other towns. "What rural communities can take from this is locals, companies and businesses banding together, not sitting on their laurels and waiting for someone else to come in," Ms Day says. "It is community-led change." The Mudgee region's campaign, which also includes a "concierge" service linking doctors to childcare, schools, housing and even hairdressers, is one of many examples of country communities fighting for healthcare equity. Half a million Australians live in "GP deserts", receiving 40 per cent fewer services per person than the national average, according to research by the Grattan Institute. With poorer access to check-ups, screening and medication, the burden of chronic disease is higher in rural and remote areas and life expectancy is shorter. Fed-up and frustrated, many rural communities have gone to extreme lengths to bridge the gap. The WA Wheatbelt town of Quairading offered a $1 million salary package for a GP in 2023, while locals in Kerang, northern Victoria, parodied the Queen hit I Want To Break Free in a social media video called We Want a GP. When two long-time western NSW Bogan Shire GPs approached retirement in 2015, the council began operating a medical centre at a cost to ratepayers of between $600,000 and $900,000 per year. The Royal Flying Doctor Service has stepped in to run clinics in several rural towns, including Robinvale, in Victoria, where the only GP to 2500 people was under immense pressure. While these grassroots efforts are admirable, rural communities should not have to do the work of federal and state governments, Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges chair Sanjay Jeganathan says. "Australia is a wealthy nation and each and every Australian should receive the same kind of healthcare irrespective of their postcode," Associate Professor Jeganathan tells AAP. As a radiologist in Perth, Dr Jeganathan regularly sees patients who have travelled thousands of kilometres from Broome or Karratha. The council, which represents all 15 specialist medical colleges in Australia, believes a "grow your own" approach will boost the numbers of doctors in the bush. It has introduced guidelines for colleges to prioritise rural candidates for specialist training, as junior doctors from the bush are more likely to stay in the regions, as are those who get exposure to country life during their studies. "There is no point in training them in Sydney and Melbourne because the likelihood is they are going to stay in the big cities," Dr Jeganathan says. "We should be really putting our efforts into developing rural and regional training hubs with a selection of appropriate trainees to work there." The constant cry from the bush to train more doctors is slowly turning the tide. Australia's two GP colleges are oversubscribed for the first time in many years and more trainees are expressing a desire to work outside the cities, Rural Doctors Association president RT Lewandowski says. But once they arrive in the bush, a Medicare system designed for the city won't necessarily cover the cost of their work. Rural GPs tend to see fewer patients with more complex health conditions in longer consultations, while also possibly working across clinics, hospital wards and emergency departments. Those things partly contribute to an estimated $6.5 billion annual spending shortfall on rural health. "There is a tremendous underspend ... on rural patients," Dr Lewandowski says. "Our mortality is still determined by our postcode." Dr Lewandowski was among of a group of doctors who visited Canberra in late June, imploring national leaders to help train more doctors and fix "piecemeal" rural health funding. The message is being heard, with the federal government delivering more doctor training places as a start. "I don't think the government is closing their eyes to the problem but it's going to be a hard change," Dr Lewandowski says. "We should have an ample supply of GPs but I don't see that realistically coming super soon." In Mudgee, the local campaign is proving successful if a little frustrating. "You do look and think 'wow, this is a major problem, what is our state and federal government doing?'" Ms Day says. "But it doesn't matter what problem you have in life, if you want to fix it, you've got to go out there and do it yourself. "That's what country towns do so well, they just pull up their sleeves and get on with it." Unlimited fresh air and blue skies, a daily walk to work, a healthy drop of fine wine, two NRL games each year, an extra $45,000 in the bank and an idyllic life in "God's country". This is what the Mudgee community has prescribed to entice city doctors to the famed wine region in central western NSW in a bold bid to ease a dire shortage of GPs. "We like to call it their prescription for a better work lifestyle in the vines," Doctors 4 Mudgee Region program co-ordinator Kate Day, who is also a winemaker, tells AAP. The bucolic remedy has been enough to attract a new GP to the picturesque gold rush village of Gulgong, while a doctor from Queensland will return to work in Mudgee after training in the region. The push to get more doctors, complete with financial incentives provided by three mining companies, began after Gulgong's only GP left in early 2024 and clinics in nearby Mudgee closed their books. Locals began travelling to neighbouring towns - or even 260km to the city - to see a doctor, an experience familiar to many across rural Australia where there are only 78 full-time GPs per 100,000 population. After securing two new GPs, the region has an ambitious plan to lure 10 more from urban centres over the next three years in a sophisticated campaign that could inspire other towns. "What rural communities can take from this is locals, companies and businesses banding together, not sitting on their laurels and waiting for someone else to come in," Ms Day says. "It is community-led change." The Mudgee region's campaign, which also includes a "concierge" service linking doctors to childcare, schools, housing and even hairdressers, is one of many examples of country communities fighting for healthcare equity. Half a million Australians live in "GP deserts", receiving 40 per cent fewer services per person than the national average, according to research by the Grattan Institute. With poorer access to check-ups, screening and medication, the burden of chronic disease is higher in rural and remote areas and life expectancy is shorter. Fed-up and frustrated, many rural communities have gone to extreme lengths to bridge the gap. The WA Wheatbelt town of Quairading offered a $1 million salary package for a GP in 2023, while locals in Kerang, northern Victoria, parodied the Queen hit I Want To Break Free in a social media video called We Want a GP. When two long-time western NSW Bogan Shire GPs approached retirement in 2015, the council began operating a medical centre at a cost to ratepayers of between $600,000 and $900,000 per year. The Royal Flying Doctor Service has stepped in to run clinics in several rural towns, including Robinvale, in Victoria, where the only GP to 2500 people was under immense pressure. While these grassroots efforts are admirable, rural communities should not have to do the work of federal and state governments, Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges chair Sanjay Jeganathan says. "Australia is a wealthy nation and each and every Australian should receive the same kind of healthcare irrespective of their postcode," Associate Professor Jeganathan tells AAP. As a radiologist in Perth, Dr Jeganathan regularly sees patients who have travelled thousands of kilometres from Broome or Karratha. The council, which represents all 15 specialist medical colleges in Australia, believes a "grow your own" approach will boost the numbers of doctors in the bush. It has introduced guidelines for colleges to prioritise rural candidates for specialist training, as junior doctors from the bush are more likely to stay in the regions, as are those who get exposure to country life during their studies. "There is no point in training them in Sydney and Melbourne because the likelihood is they are going to stay in the big cities," Dr Jeganathan says. "We should be really putting our efforts into developing rural and regional training hubs with a selection of appropriate trainees to work there." The constant cry from the bush to train more doctors is slowly turning the tide. Australia's two GP colleges are oversubscribed for the first time in many years and more trainees are expressing a desire to work outside the cities, Rural Doctors Association president RT Lewandowski says. But once they arrive in the bush, a Medicare system designed for the city won't necessarily cover the cost of their work. Rural GPs tend to see fewer patients with more complex health conditions in longer consultations, while also possibly working across clinics, hospital wards and emergency departments. Those things partly contribute to an estimated $6.5 billion annual spending shortfall on rural health. "There is a tremendous underspend ... on rural patients," Dr Lewandowski says. "Our mortality is still determined by our postcode." Dr Lewandowski was among of a group of doctors who visited Canberra in late June, imploring national leaders to help train more doctors and fix "piecemeal" rural health funding. The message is being heard, with the federal government delivering more doctor training places as a start. "I don't think the government is closing their eyes to the problem but it's going to be a hard change," Dr Lewandowski says. "We should have an ample supply of GPs but I don't see that realistically coming super soon." In Mudgee, the local campaign is proving successful if a little frustrating. "You do look and think 'wow, this is a major problem, what is our state and federal government doing?'" Ms Day says. "But it doesn't matter what problem you have in life, if you want to fix it, you've got to go out there and do it yourself. "That's what country towns do so well, they just pull up their sleeves and get on with it." Unlimited fresh air and blue skies, a daily walk to work, a healthy drop of fine wine, two NRL games each year, an extra $45,000 in the bank and an idyllic life in "God's country". This is what the Mudgee community has prescribed to entice city doctors to the famed wine region in central western NSW in a bold bid to ease a dire shortage of GPs. "We like to call it their prescription for a better work lifestyle in the vines," Doctors 4 Mudgee Region program co-ordinator Kate Day, who is also a winemaker, tells AAP. The bucolic remedy has been enough to attract a new GP to the picturesque gold rush village of Gulgong, while a doctor from Queensland will return to work in Mudgee after training in the region. The push to get more doctors, complete with financial incentives provided by three mining companies, began after Gulgong's only GP left in early 2024 and clinics in nearby Mudgee closed their books. Locals began travelling to neighbouring towns - or even 260km to the city - to see a doctor, an experience familiar to many across rural Australia where there are only 78 full-time GPs per 100,000 population. After securing two new GPs, the region has an ambitious plan to lure 10 more from urban centres over the next three years in a sophisticated campaign that could inspire other towns. "What rural communities can take from this is locals, companies and businesses banding together, not sitting on their laurels and waiting for someone else to come in," Ms Day says. "It is community-led change." The Mudgee region's campaign, which also includes a "concierge" service linking doctors to childcare, schools, housing and even hairdressers, is one of many examples of country communities fighting for healthcare equity. Half a million Australians live in "GP deserts", receiving 40 per cent fewer services per person than the national average, according to research by the Grattan Institute. With poorer access to check-ups, screening and medication, the burden of chronic disease is higher in rural and remote areas and life expectancy is shorter. Fed-up and frustrated, many rural communities have gone to extreme lengths to bridge the gap. The WA Wheatbelt town of Quairading offered a $1 million salary package for a GP in 2023, while locals in Kerang, northern Victoria, parodied the Queen hit I Want To Break Free in a social media video called We Want a GP. When two long-time western NSW Bogan Shire GPs approached retirement in 2015, the council began operating a medical centre at a cost to ratepayers of between $600,000 and $900,000 per year. The Royal Flying Doctor Service has stepped in to run clinics in several rural towns, including Robinvale, in Victoria, where the only GP to 2500 people was under immense pressure. While these grassroots efforts are admirable, rural communities should not have to do the work of federal and state governments, Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges chair Sanjay Jeganathan says. "Australia is a wealthy nation and each and every Australian should receive the same kind of healthcare irrespective of their postcode," Associate Professor Jeganathan tells AAP. As a radiologist in Perth, Dr Jeganathan regularly sees patients who have travelled thousands of kilometres from Broome or Karratha. The council, which represents all 15 specialist medical colleges in Australia, believes a "grow your own" approach will boost the numbers of doctors in the bush. It has introduced guidelines for colleges to prioritise rural candidates for specialist training, as junior doctors from the bush are more likely to stay in the regions, as are those who get exposure to country life during their studies. "There is no point in training them in Sydney and Melbourne because the likelihood is they are going to stay in the big cities," Dr Jeganathan says. "We should be really putting our efforts into developing rural and regional training hubs with a selection of appropriate trainees to work there." The constant cry from the bush to train more doctors is slowly turning the tide. Australia's two GP colleges are oversubscribed for the first time in many years and more trainees are expressing a desire to work outside the cities, Rural Doctors Association president RT Lewandowski says. But once they arrive in the bush, a Medicare system designed for the city won't necessarily cover the cost of their work. Rural GPs tend to see fewer patients with more complex health conditions in longer consultations, while also possibly working across clinics, hospital wards and emergency departments. Those things partly contribute to an estimated $6.5 billion annual spending shortfall on rural health. "There is a tremendous underspend ... on rural patients," Dr Lewandowski says. "Our mortality is still determined by our postcode." Dr Lewandowski was among of a group of doctors who visited Canberra in late June, imploring national leaders to help train more doctors and fix "piecemeal" rural health funding. The message is being heard, with the federal government delivering more doctor training places as a start. "I don't think the government is closing their eyes to the problem but it's going to be a hard change," Dr Lewandowski says. "We should have an ample supply of GPs but I don't see that realistically coming super soon." In Mudgee, the local campaign is proving successful if a little frustrating. "You do look and think 'wow, this is a major problem, what is our state and federal government doing?'" Ms Day says. "But it doesn't matter what problem you have in life, if you want to fix it, you've got to go out there and do it yourself. "That's what country towns do so well, they just pull up their sleeves and get on with it."
West Australian
27-06-2025
- Health
- West Australian
The $45,000 golden prescription to heal rural health
Unlimited fresh air and blue skies, a daily walk to work, a healthy drop of fine wine, two NRL games each year, an extra $45,000 in the bank and an idyllic life in "God's country". This is what the Mudgee community has prescribed to entice city doctors to the famed wine region in central western NSW in a bold bid to ease a dire shortage of GPs. "We like to call it their prescription for a better work lifestyle in the vines," Doctors 4 Mudgee Region program co-ordinator Kate Day, who is also a winemaker, tells AAP. The bucolic remedy has been enough to attract a new GP to the picturesque gold rush village of Gulgong, while a doctor from Queensland will return to work in Mudgee after training in the region. The push to get more doctors, complete with financial incentives provided by three mining companies, began after Gulgong's only GP left in early 2024 and clinics in nearby Mudgee closed their books. Locals began travelling to neighbouring towns - or even 260km to the city - to see a doctor, an experience familiar to many across rural Australia where there are only 78 full-time GPs per 100,000 population. After securing two new GPs, the region has an ambitious plan to lure 10 more from urban centres over the next three years in a sophisticated campaign that could inspire other towns. "What rural communities can take from this is locals, companies and businesses banding together, not sitting on their laurels and waiting for someone else to come in," Ms Day says. "It is community-led change." The Mudgee region's campaign, which also includes a "concierge" service linking doctors to childcare, schools, housing and even hairdressers, is one of many examples of country communities fighting for healthcare equity. Half a million Australians live in "GP deserts", receiving 40 per cent fewer services per person than the national average, according to research by the Grattan Institute. With poorer access to check-ups, screening and medication, the burden of chronic disease is higher in rural and remote areas and life expectancy is shorter. Fed-up and frustrated, many rural communities have gone to extreme lengths to bridge the gap. The WA Wheatbelt town of Quairading offered a $1 million salary package for a GP in 2023, while locals in Kerang, northern Victoria, parodied the Queen hit I Want To Break Free in a social media video called We Want a GP. When two long-time western NSW Bogan Shire GPs approached retirement in 2015, the council began operating a medical centre at a cost to ratepayers of between $600,000 and $900,000 per year. The Royal Flying Doctor Service has stepped in to run clinics in several rural towns, including Robinvale, in Victoria, where the only GP to 2500 people was under immense pressure. While these grassroots efforts are admirable, rural communities should not have to do the work of federal and state governments, Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges chair Sanjay Jeganathan says. "Australia is a wealthy nation and each and every Australian should receive the same kind of healthcare irrespective of their postcode," Associate Professor Jeganathan tells AAP. As a radiologist in Perth, Dr Jeganathan regularly sees patients who have travelled thousands of kilometres from Broome or Karratha. The council, which represents all 15 specialist medical colleges in Australia, believes a "grow your own" approach will boost the numbers of doctors in the bush. It has introduced guidelines for colleges to prioritise rural candidates for specialist training, as junior doctors from the bush are more likely to stay in the regions, as are those who get exposure to country life during their studies. "There is no point in training them in Sydney and Melbourne because the likelihood is they are going to stay in the big cities," Dr Jeganathan says. "We should be really putting our efforts into developing rural and regional training hubs with a selection of appropriate trainees to work there." The constant cry from the bush to train more doctors is slowly turning the tide. Australia's two GP colleges are oversubscribed for the first time in many years and more trainees are expressing a desire to work outside the cities, Rural Doctors Association president RT Lewandowski says. But once they arrive in the bush, a Medicare system designed for the city won't necessarily cover the cost of their work. Rural GPs tend to see fewer patients with more complex health conditions in longer consultations, while also possibly working across clinics, hospital wards and emergency departments. Those things partly contribute to an estimated $6.5 billion annual spending shortfall on rural health. "There is a tremendous underspend ... on rural patients," Dr Lewandowski says. "Our mortality is still determined by our postcode." Dr Lewandowski was among of a group of doctors who visited Canberra in late June, imploring national leaders to help train more doctors and fix "piecemeal" rural health funding. The message is being heard, with the federal government delivering more doctor training places as a start. "I don't think the government is closing their eyes to the problem but it's going to be a hard change," Dr Lewandowski says. "We should have an ample supply of GPs but I don't see that realistically coming super soon." In Mudgee, the local campaign is proving successful if a little frustrating. "You do look and think 'wow, this is a major problem, what is our state and federal government doing?'" Ms Day says. "But it doesn't matter what problem you have in life, if you want to fix it, you've got to go out there and do it yourself. "That's what country towns do so well, they just pull up their sleeves and get on with it."
Perth Now
27-06-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
The $45,000 golden prescription to heal rural health
Unlimited fresh air and blue skies, a daily walk to work, a healthy drop of fine wine, two NRL games each year, an extra $45,000 in the bank and an idyllic life in "God's country". This is what the Mudgee community has prescribed to entice city doctors to the famed wine region in central western NSW in a bold bid to ease a dire shortage of GPs. "We like to call it their prescription for a better work lifestyle in the vines," Doctors 4 Mudgee Region program co-ordinator Kate Day, who is also a winemaker, tells AAP. The bucolic remedy has been enough to attract a new GP to the picturesque gold rush village of Gulgong, while a doctor from Queensland will return to work in Mudgee after training in the region. The push to get more doctors, complete with financial incentives provided by three mining companies, began after Gulgong's only GP left in early 2024 and clinics in nearby Mudgee closed their books. Locals began travelling to neighbouring towns - or even 260km to the city - to see a doctor, an experience familiar to many across rural Australia where there are only 78 full-time GPs per 100,000 population. After securing two new GPs, the region has an ambitious plan to lure 10 more from urban centres over the next three years in a sophisticated campaign that could inspire other towns. "What rural communities can take from this is locals, companies and businesses banding together, not sitting on their laurels and waiting for someone else to come in," Ms Day says. "It is community-led change." The Mudgee region's campaign, which also includes a "concierge" service linking doctors to childcare, schools, housing and even hairdressers, is one of many examples of country communities fighting for healthcare equity. Half a million Australians live in "GP deserts", receiving 40 per cent fewer services per person than the national average, according to research by the Grattan Institute. With poorer access to check-ups, screening and medication, the burden of chronic disease is higher in rural and remote areas and life expectancy is shorter. Fed-up and frustrated, many rural communities have gone to extreme lengths to bridge the gap. The WA Wheatbelt town of Quairading offered a $1 million salary package for a GP in 2023, while locals in Kerang, northern Victoria, parodied the Queen hit I Want To Break Free in a social media video called We Want a GP. When two long-time western NSW Bogan Shire GPs approached retirement in 2015, the council began operating a medical centre at a cost to ratepayers of between $600,000 and $900,000 per year. The Royal Flying Doctor Service has stepped in to run clinics in several rural towns, including Robinvale, in Victoria, where the only GP to 2500 people was under immense pressure. While these grassroots efforts are admirable, rural communities should not have to do the work of federal and state governments, Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges chair Sanjay Jeganathan says. "Australia is a wealthy nation and each and every Australian should receive the same kind of healthcare irrespective of their postcode," Associate Professor Jeganathan tells AAP. As a radiologist in Perth, Dr Jeganathan regularly sees patients who have travelled thousands of kilometres from Broome or Karratha. The council, which represents all 15 specialist medical colleges in Australia, believes a "grow your own" approach will boost the numbers of doctors in the bush. It has introduced guidelines for colleges to prioritise rural candidates for specialist training, as junior doctors from the bush are more likely to stay in the regions, as are those who get exposure to country life during their studies. "There is no point in training them in Sydney and Melbourne because the likelihood is they are going to stay in the big cities," Dr Jeganathan says. "We should be really putting our efforts into developing rural and regional training hubs with a selection of appropriate trainees to work there." The constant cry from the bush to train more doctors is slowly turning the tide. Australia's two GP colleges are oversubscribed for the first time in many years and more trainees are expressing a desire to work outside the cities, Rural Doctors Association president RT Lewandowski says. But once they arrive in the bush, a Medicare system designed for the city won't necessarily cover the cost of their work. Rural GPs tend to see fewer patients with more complex health conditions in longer consultations, while also possibly working across clinics, hospital wards and emergency departments. Those things partly contribute to an estimated $6.5 billion annual spending shortfall on rural health. "There is a tremendous underspend ... on rural patients," Dr Lewandowski says. "Our mortality is still determined by our postcode." Dr Lewandowski was among of a group of doctors who visited Canberra in late June, imploring national leaders to help train more doctors and fix "piecemeal" rural health funding. The message is being heard, with the federal government delivering more doctor training places as a start. "I don't think the government is closing their eyes to the problem but it's going to be a hard change," Dr Lewandowski says. "We should have an ample supply of GPs but I don't see that realistically coming super soon." In Mudgee, the local campaign is proving successful if a little frustrating. "You do look and think 'wow, this is a major problem, what is our state and federal government doing?'" Ms Day says. "But it doesn't matter what problem you have in life, if you want to fix it, you've got to go out there and do it yourself. "That's what country towns do so well, they just pull up their sleeves and get on with it."
