$17.69 Million to Boost Health Workforce in Regional and Remote Areas
Regional and remote communities will benefit from $17.69 million in projects aimed at boosting the healthcare workforce in rural areas, Acting Minister for Health Mark Butler announced today.
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4 October 2012
Regional and remote communities will benefit from $17.69 million in projects aimed at boosting the healthcare workforce in rural areas, Acting Minister for Health Mark Butler announced today.
Under one of the initiatives, an additional 387 nursing and allied health workers will be recruited through Australia’s first nationally coordinated recruitment approach.
The other initiative will see the roll out of eight projects across Australia to look at ways to improve education networks to allow doctors to continue advanced medical training relevant to the needs of remote and rural locations.
Worth $1.5 million, the eight projects will focus on the roles of Rural Medical Generalists and Rural Dual trained Physicians, which have been identified as possible alternatives to the increasing use of high-cost “fly-in, fly-out” services used to deliver specialist medical care.
“There is no hiding from the fact that regional and rural communities have great needs in terms of health workforce recruitment and service provision, which is why I am very pleased to be able to announce these two valuable initiatives today,” Mr Butler said.
“Both projects are innovative examples of health workforce reform and address our key aims of building capacity, boosting productivity and improving distribution of rural health professionals.”
Mr Butler said the Rural Health Professionals Program was aimed at recruiting nurses and allied health workers from Australia as well as overseas.
Worth $16.18 million, the program is being coordinated by Health Workforce Australia, which is working with seven rural health workforce agencies across the country to recruit the 387 health professionals.
“The Rural Health Professionals Program will facilitate more efficient workforce attraction, recruitment and retention in rural and remote areas, addressing well-recognised health workforce shortages,” Mr Butler said.
“The rural workforce agencies will be responsible for orientation, the provision of retention support packages and case management.”
Mr Butler said the Rural Medical Generalist and Rural Dual-trained Physician projects – also being rolled out through Health Workforce Australia – were aimed at addressing the decline in general practitioners providing proceduralist services in rural and remote Australia.
“These are vital, often life-saving services that prevent unnecessary referral, cost and disruption for rural and remote patients.”
“The Rural Medical Generalist role will provide a bridge between the traditional role of non-procedural General Practitioners (GP) and the advanced skills of a consultant specialist,” Mr Butler said
“The Rural Dual-trained Physician project will complement this work by increasing the number of physicians trained in both general medicine and an additional specialty to reflect local needs.
“The aim is to develop training options, remove barriers and generally open up opportunities for doctors to successfully pursue a career in rural medicine,” Mr Butler said.
For more information, contact the minister’s office on 02 6277 7280
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Tables detailing funding recipients for both programs are attached.
Rural Medical Generalist and Rural Dual-Trained Physician Successful Projects
Agency | Project | Total funds |
|---|---|---|
Queensland Health | Part of the Queensland Health Rural Generalist Pathway (QRGP) to develop a Rural Medical Generalist. Funding for QRGP Enhancement Workshop and Toward Excellence in Rural Generalist Medicine Workshop to engage with graduates and promote opportunities in pursuing a rural generalist career. | $91,000 |
Queensland Health | Undertake cost and benefit analysis of the Queensland Health Rural Generalist Pathway (QRGP) in relation to services provided under the current rural and remote service model. | $250,000 |
Country Health SA Local Health Network Inc | The Road to General Practice project to expand rural training opportunities. | $194,000 |
Department of Health and Human Services(TAS) | Tasmanian Rural Medical Generalist Pathway Project to raise awareness among stakeholders, (including Tasmanian health organisations) and gain support for the RMG workforce in rural and remote areas. | $250,000 |
WA Country Health Service | A Rural Medical Supervision Support Program to increase specialist training capacity and support for supervisors of junior doctors. | $137,000 |
Health Administration Corporation (NSW) | Rural Generalist Mentoring Program to develop a mentoring program for rural generalist trainees. | $250,000 |
Northern Territory | Support for Training Pathway of Rural Medical Generalists to increase dedicated training capacity and develop supported training pathway for rural medical generalists. | $250,000 |
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (NSW) | Managing Complex Chronic Disease in Rural Hospital Networks: Dual-trained Physicians to obtain evidence of the model of dual-trained physicians in improving rural health services. | $91,000 |
Total | $1,513,000 |
Rural Health Professionals Program
| Rural Workforce Agency | Number of Health Professionals to be placed | Orientation Program | Recruitment, Retention, Flexible Incentive Packages | Total Funding (excl. GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales Rural Doctors Network | 80 | $100,000 | $3,200,000 | $3,300,000 |
| Health Workforce Queensland | 52 | $100,000 | $2,080,000 | $2,180,000 |
| Rural Doctors Workforce Agency (South Australia) | 45 | $100,000 | $1,800,000 | $1,900,000 |
| Health Recruitment Plus (General Practice Workforce, Tasmania) | 45 | $100,000 | $1,800,000 | $1,900,000 |
| Rural Workforce Agency Victoria | 80 | $100,000 | $3,200,000 | $3,300,000 |
| Rural Health West | 40 | $100,000 | $1,600,000 | $1,700,000 |
| General Practice Network Northern Territory Ltd. | 45 | $100,000 | $1,800,000 | $1,900,000 |
| TOTAL | 387 | $700,000 | $15,480,000 | $16,180,000 |
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