The Abbott Government has accepted the recommendation of Labors Review into Health Workforce Programs and will adopt the Modified Monash Model.

Labor welcomes the Governments decision to finally act on the Mason Review recommendations.

The Government will amend the regional classification system that is used to determine many health workforce incentives. The old system had an emphasis on remoteness over town size, the new Modified Monash Model takes both factors into account.

Some larger regional towns have less difficulty in attracting health workers such as GPs, and the Modified Monash Model will mean smaller regional towns will now be classified differently in order to attract higher incentives.

We will be watching very closely how the Minister manages the transition to the new model.

The Minister must explain what will happen to those that have accepted incentives in areas that will have their regional classification downgraded.

This policy, in no way, makes up for the $1.4 billion that the Abbott Government is ripping out of regional GP practices through the GP Tax which is threatening the financial viability of regional GP practices.