World Family Doctor Day - an opportunity to recognise doctors supporting rural and remote Australia

On the eve of World Family Doctor Day, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) says it’s a timely opportunity to highlight the role Rural Generalists (RGs) are playing in providing excellent health care to families in rural and remote communities.

The 2020 theme for World Family Doctor Day on Tuesday 19 May is ‘family doctors on the front line’, emphasising that doctors are key to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

ACRRM President Dr Ewen McPhee says as specialist General Practitioners (GP), RGs are committed to having the skills and acumen to provide cradle-to-grave healthcare for families living in isolated communities.

“They have been instrumental in preparing local clinics and hospitals for the COVID-19 pandemic and educating and supporting their patients to take necessary precautions to minimise the spread of the disease.

“The reason they have been so responsive, is because they have the ability to utilise advanced skills in a range of areas including emergency care, mental health, indigenous health, obstetrics and anaesthetics; they use telehealth to improve access to care, and play an integral role in broader health care teams.” 

Dr McPhee adds that on World Family Doctor Day it is also important to recognise that rural and regional communities deserve the same access to healthcare as their urban counterparts.

“There is a real need to reinvigorate interest in general practice and address the current maldistribution of the GP workforce so that doctors are motivated and supported to work in regional, rural and remote communities where they are needed,” Dr McPhee says.

“ACRRM has been chosen by the government to deliver the new National Rural Generalist Training Program to help stem the current critical shortage of rural general practice services and address the shortage of specialist services which are closing, or at risk of closing, due to a lack of suitable skilled doctors.

“The College is also working with the RACGP to progress the recognition of rural generalism, which is supported by a Commonwealth Government investment of $62.4 million over four years.

“This will encourage doctors to pursue a career in rural health and will go a long way to ensuring families living outside the city and urban areas are not left behind when it comes to access to high quality medical care,” Dr McPhee says.