| The Division was formed in 1994 and has a main office in Kalgoorlie-Boulder (596km from Perth) and a satellite office in Esperance (394km from Kalgoorlie). Project staff are employed throughout the region.
General Practitioners in the region work long hours with many (especially in solo GP communities) being on-call 24 hours per day. The GP to patient ratio is well above the national average throughout the region, ranging from 1500-1999 in Esperance to 2500-9999 in some of the smaller towns.
The socio-demographics within the Eastern Goldfields region are quite diverse. Long distances are common to all remote communities, however they can differ in function and infrastructure from being a coastal fishing port and harbour, farming community to a mining town or an Aboriginal Community.
The level of isolation and impact on health by environmental conditions is often more marked than seen in rural and metropolitan communities. The low population density has important implications for the type and range of health services available, and for staff recruitment and retention.
The major industry of employment of residents in the Eastern Goldfields is mining (21%), retail (11.2%), property or business (7.8%). The mining and service industry based workforce is predominantly transient, working long hours and travelling large distances.
The Division sets its goals by working collaboratively with key stakeholders including the Goldfields South East Health Region (GSEHR - Department of Health, Western Australia), Aboriginal Medical Services, community leaders, and other health and social service providers in the region.
Strong links are also essential with other organisations including the Rural Clinical School (RCS), Western Australian Centre for Remote and Rural Medicine (WACRRM), the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), General Practice Divisions of Western Australia (GPDWA), and the Australian Medical Association (AMA). |
