JOINT RELEASE: We know the answers! Peak rural GP groups address Senate Inquiry

Peak rural general practice groups today addressed the Senate Inquiry looking into issues affecting GP services in rural and remote Australia, with ready-to-go solutions for addressing the chronic shortage of rural General Practitioners (GPs) and Rural Generalist doctors.

The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) jointly addressed the Senate Inquiry into the Provision of general practitioner and related primary health services to outer metropolitan, rural, and regional Australians, in a united approach to see greater recognition and conditions for rural GPs and Rural Generalists.

RDAA President, Dr Megan Belot, said that increasing the competitiveness of general practice as a medical speciality required industrial reform.

“General practice is the only medical speciality that trains and works outside of the hospital system,” Dr Belot said.

“Our junior doctors are discouraged by the uncertainty this offers, with no entitlements such as maternity leave, sick days and long-service leave that is available to other medical specialities.

“The demographic of doctors in training is changing. They are getting older, there are more women, and they have a huge HECS debt already owing. They are looking for different outcomes from their employment structure.

“We need innovative employment models, particularly for our Rural Generalist doctors, who often remain working in the hospital system as well as in general practice, that address these needs and support them in making general practice their career choice.”

Other solutions presented to the Senate Committee included recognition of rural generalism as a medical sub-speciality, and remunerating it accordingly, and simplifying the training pathway for Rural Generalists as a matter of urgency.

ACRRM President, Dr Sarah Chalmers, said that while these initiatives have been in-train for some time, rapid acceleration is needed.

“The recognition of Rural Generalist Medicine as a specialised field of general practice is in motion, but will take a significant time to be assessed. Professional recognition for this scope of practice is a crucial element for attracting more doctors to this incredibly important field of medicine,” Dr Chalmers said.

“This also has remuneration implications for Rural Generalists, who often get a lower Medical Benefit Scheme rate for the same procedures than their specialist colleagues. This has to stop.

“We also need to abolish the rural pathway within the current GP training programs, which is inadvertently positioning rural training as an inferior choice.

“We need the full rollout of the National Rural Generalist Training Pathway, which has been in process now for three years and still not delivering; we need a doubling of the Rural Generalist program positions; and an expansion of the John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program (JFPDP) with a focus on getting these junior doctors a meaningful experience in the Rural Generalist workforce,” Dr Chalmers said.

Both organisations agreed that the solutions were out there, they just needed dedication and political will to implement them.

Dr Belot said she was encouraged by the interest shown by the Senators and felt that there was a real desire to progress solutions that will help rural and remote Australians.

“We thank the Senators for their time and their interest in this Inquiry. Each one of them was passionate about seeing improvement, and had taken the time to really read the submissions and gain a good understanding of the issues at hand.”

Dr Chalmers said that she was hopeful that they would see the key issues affecting rural were unique and needed rural-specific solutions.

“We continue to advocate for rural solutions for rural issues,” Dr Chalmers said.

“We feel that the premise of the Inquiry was too broad, and that the issues affecting outer-metro areas required their own tailored solutions, separate to those applicable in rural areas.

“It was encouraging that the Senators had a good understanding of, and interest in, rural health, and we hope to see some tailored solutions to the rural medical workforce crises come out of the recommendations.”

Also appearing before the Inquiry on behalf of ACRRM and RDAA were Assoc Prof Ewen McPhee and Dr John Hall.