About the rural health workforce
Find out about the status of the rural health workforce in Australia.
What we do
How we support the rural health workforce with policies and programs.
Stronger Rural Health Strategy
Read about our 10-year strategy to improve the health of people in rural Australia.
Rural health workforce programs
See a list of our programs to help health professionals in remote and rural locations.
Did you know?
7 million
Australians live in remote and regional areas
3,000
extra doctors and nurses will be working in rural areas by 2028
240
is the number of rotations into rural primary care settings that we fund for junior doctors each year
Resources
Resources
Case study – Lachlan Valley health workforce strategy
The Lachlan Valley trial aimed to test and evaluate unique models of primary care to meet community health needs in 3 rural NSW towns. No model of care was identified and trialled. However, by using a co-design process the communities identified solutions to improve access to primary health care.
Case study – Wentworth ACCHO-led sustainable GP model
An Aboriginal Medical Service opened networked primary care clinics after the local general practices closed. The model services the whole community and has outreach services to other communities. It has since attracted several GPs to Wentworth and maintained a quality primary care service.
Case study – Snowy Valleys shared medical appointment model
The Snowy Valleys project is a shared medical appointment where health professionals consult patients with common health conditions, involving peer-to-peer sharing. This model included 3 separate trials, in which 2 produced sufficient billings through Medicare to satisfy participating GPs.
Case study – Canola Fields deliberate team-based care model
A GP practice in Canowindra uses a community-based deliberate team-based care (DTBC) program. The model supports patient-centred care, shared across a team of health professionals. The DTBC program has reduced hospitalisations, improved access to care, and reduced treatment waiting times.