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Ministers unite to get more doctors into the bush

Australian Health Ministers today turned their attention to our unacceptable rural doctor shortage and agreed to a streamlined recruiting approach for overseas trained GPs.

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4 August 1999

Ministers unite to get more doctors into the bush

Australian Health Ministers today turned their attention to our unacceptable rural doctor shortage and agreed to a streamlined recruiting approach for overseas trained GPs.

Speaking at the Australian Health Ministers' Conference in Canberra, Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Dr Michael Wooldridge, said today's decision was a significant step towards ensuring that all Australians have access to high quality health services.

"We've been up against a shortage of GPs in our rural and remote areas for too long. Overseas trained doctors are an untapped resource and today's development will ensure that this situation is improved," Dr Wooldridge said.

A number of states have recently moved to change their registration conditions to attract well-qualified rural doctors.

"Greater consistency in medical registration criteria between the States and Territories is critical to this process," he said.

To simplify the recruitment process while maintaining the high standards of Australian medicine, Health Ministers have agreed to a recruitment framework to work alongside the basic requirement of admission to FRACGP, working through the Joint Venture Board between the RACGP and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. The framework includes:

  • Overseas trained doctors with formal postgraduate qualifications in general practice may be assessed for registration by Medical Boards upon advice, as an alternative to completing the AMC exam;

  • Doctors registered on the above basis will be registered as general practitioners only and will be required to work in rural areas for a minimum of five years;

  • Assessment processes for overseas trained GPs will be brought into line with those processes in specialist colleges; and

  • Processes will be established to ensure that existing permanent resident overseas trained doctors will be considered before new temporary resident doctors are recruited.
ACT Minister for Health and conference host, Mr Michael Moore, said getting GPs to rural and remote areas was a top priority for all Australian Governments.

"Today's important development is good news for rural Australia and good news for GPs," he said.

Media Contact: Adam Connolly Dr Wooldridge's office (02) 6277 7220
Rachel Hill Mr Moore's office (02) 6205 0077