Journalists wanting to speak to an ACRRM spokesperson are invited to contact Petrina Smith on 0414 820 847 or email.

On this year’s World Family Doctor Day, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) intends to celebrate its role in “leading the way to better health”

ACRRM President Associate Professor Ruth Stewart said: “Rural Generalists – those General Practitioners who are trained specifically to work in rural and remote communities – have had a red letter year in 2018.”

“In Australia, the Rural Generalist model of care is finally receiving the support and recognition needed to building a strong, sustainable network of practitioners to serve our rural communities,” she said.

Work is now underway on the National Rural Generalist Pathway which will provide the framework for coordinated workforce training and support. At the budget announcement, The Hon Greg Hunt MP and Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie confirmed funding was allocated for critical rural health training programs and infrastructure.

A/Prof Stewart said World Family Doctor Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the Rural Generalist and all that the College and its members have achieved.

“The Rural Generalist is a family doctor with the skills, competence and confidence to work in rural and remote communities. Their training enables them to meet the needs of patients and communities who are geographically isolated from specialist healthcare services,” she said. 

“Our members provide community and rural hospital care when and where it is needed.

“Rural Generalists are trained to operate at the top of their licence across all aspects of general practice.

“They provide care in emergency situations; have specific advanced skills; work as part of a team of rural generalists serving a given community; and where necessary, are skilled to use telehealth to improve access to care.”

The role and importance of rural generalism is described in the College Position Statement.

The recognition of the rural generalist model of care that has been achieved is a tribute to the driving passion of rural family doctors across the world who, for several decades, have promoted the model as a way forward to ensuring their patients’ needs can be met.