Smart rural-specific healthcare solutions must be prioritised in this Federal Budget

With the Federal Budget being released next week, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) calls on the Albanese Government to use its mandate to drive urgent reform and positive change for the health of rural, remote, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

The College has set out its policy priorities which identify reform of rural primary healthcare and general practice funding models; rural prevocational and general practice training; and the National Rural Generalist Pathway, as areas in which urgent and longer-term investments are required. 

ACRRM President Dr Dan Halliday says we can turn around the inequity of healthcare access that rural, remote, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to experience, but this requires smart, rural-specific solutions, targeted investment, and it needs to happen now. 

“We need all initiatives, short and long term, to address the loss of healthcare staff and resources across rural and remote Australia,” Dr Halliday says. 

“We know that costs of resources, staff, training, and locum support, are higher outside the urban footprint, and the ability to recoup these costs is more limited. 

“These factors should be acknowledged through incentives and higher rebates for doctors working in rural and remote areas. 

“Rural Generalists in regional, rural, and remote areas also have more responsibilities, and deal with more complex cases and higher rates of chronic disease. "This has been recognised through the introduction of a rural bulk billing incentive, but more can be done. 

“Rural Medical Benefit Scheme (MBS) rebates and incentives should be expanded, with the quantum of payments increasing with remoteness, and complementary funding models outside the MBS should be implemented to support high-quality and sustainable care. 

“With digital technologies, and post COVID-19, tree and sea changes have never been more attractive and there is a huge opportunity for smart rural-specific policy solutions to restore broken rural and remote healthcare services.” 

The College is also calling for continued funding to progress the implementation of the National Rural Generalist Pathway and to support Rural Generalist programs across all states and territories. 

“As a College focused on training and supporting Rural Generalists who have the specialised skills needed to provide healthcare to those outside the urban footprint, we strongly believe ACRRM should receive increased funding to build the workforce required across the nation," Dr Halliday adds. 

“We also call for ongoing and increased funding to close the gap on the inequities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare, including access to culturally safe and responsive health care, and more opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to take up a career in rural and remote general practice. 

“With appropriate funding, the College vision for the right doctors, in the right places, with the right skills, providing rural and remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with excellent healthcare, is attainable.” 

ENDS