The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) supports today’s announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler, and Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff of a trial Single Employer Model for registrars training to become Rural Generalists (RGs) and specialist General Practitioners (GPs) throughout the state.
The trial allows Tasmanian registrars to be employed by the state throughout their training and bridges the gap between hospital-based and primary care training placements.
It is the first of 10 trials announced by the Australian Government in the 2022-2023 October Budget.
ACRRM President Dan Halliday says the single employer model is a workable approach to attracting more doctors to regional areas and addressing the specialist healthcare needs of rural and remote communities.
“We recognise that not all models work for all regions, but this trial is proving to be a success in the Murrumbidgee local Health District in NSW where it has been operating since October 2020, and the Riverland in South Australia where it recently started,” Dr Halliday says.
“The model provides registrars with certainty about location, income and working conditions throughout the duration of their training and allows for seamless transition between hospital and primary care training.”
“Registrars generally have multiple employers throughout their Fellowship training, through hospitals, community health centres, and private GP clinics.
“By having one employer throughout their training, registrars can accrue entitlements such as sick leave and employer-paid parental leave.
“We know that rural and remote communities in Tasmania, and throughout Australia, are calling for more specialist rural doctors to support the healthcare needs of their patients.
“This model improves the attractiveness of RG and GP training, strengthens the RG and GP workforce across Tasmania, and addresses the availability of high-quality healthcare in communities where it is most needed.
“We are also buoyed by the announcement that the Tasmanian Government intends to double the number of participants in the Tasmanian Rural Generalist Pathway program.
“This will support more training placements in rural and regional areas and boost access to high-quality healthcare in Tasmania, which ACRRM has strongly advocated for over its 25-year existence,” Dr Halliday says.
ENDS