Today’s release of the report on the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease highlights some alarming trends in regional Australia. 

Increased risk factors such as obesity and sedentary lifestyles are considerably more prevalent in regional Australia, yet the Rudd Labor Government continues to neglect rural and regional health services, denying these Australians access to appropriate healthcare. 

Yet 2 years on the Rudd Labor Government has failed to deliver on their election commitments for regional areas.  These included improving access to health services and to fix the hospitals.  One key example is the 36 promised so called ‘GP super clinics’.  After more than 2 years in Government only one is fully operational, and they will not all be open before June 2011.

GP Super Clinics were a key election commitment of the Rudd Labor Government.  They were largely targeted at marginal seats, instead of where the need really was. 

The Rudd Labor Government needs to start delivering on its key promises from the last election and addressing the growing crisis in rural and regional health.