Rural generalists to tackle ‘pernicious’ uneven GP spread

More government funding will be directed towards training rural generalists to take an expanded role in the health system.

Regional Services Minister Bridget McKenzie.

More government funding will be directed towards training rural doctors to take an expanded role in the health system, after a taskforce warned Australia’s maldistribution of doctors was “persistent and pernicious”.

At the National Rural Health Conference yesterday, Regional Services Minister Bridget McKenzie announced $62.2 million in funding from next week’s budget had been set aside to fast-track the “rural generalist” pathway. It comes after health ministers earlier this month agreed to collaborate on a “national medical workforce strategy” to ensure the increasing number of domestic graduates help to address GP and specialist shortages.

Senator McKenzie said the government had already enhanced rural medical training, and restricted the use of overseas-trained GPs in metropolitan areas, but regarded rural generalists as “a key element of the future rural medical workforce”.

“Rural generalists are doctors who provide general practice services in the community, emergency care in hospitals, as well as other specialist services,” Senator McKenzie told the conference.

“This broad scope of practice is absolutely critical to Australians living in communities that do not have ready access to non-GP medical specialists.”

The funding, recommended by Rural Health Commissioner Paul Worley, was welcomed by the Rural Doctors Association of Australia, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, the National Rural Health Alliance, Australian Medical Association and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

It follows an expert review by the National Rural Generalist Taskforce that highlighted the need to better train and support rural doctors to take on the broader scope of practice.

The rural generalist pathway has bipartisan support.