Rural Medical Support

Workforce Initiatives

The NSW RDN receives annual funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care to develop and administer the Rural and Remote General Practice Program (RRGPP). The objectives of the program are:

• To improve the recruitment, attraction and retention of General Practitioners (GPs) in rural and remote areas, thereby improving access to primary medical services for rural and remote residents.
• To address the overall under supply of GPs in rural and remote areas.
• To develop a co-operative and rational planning approach for the provision of primary medical services for rural and remote areas including to identify models of sustainable practice.
• To provide a flexible, coordinated, cost-effective and customer focussed
• framework for the delivery of incentives and support for the recruitment and retention of general practitioners in rural and remote communities in Australia.

The program comprises:

• The RRGPP Rural Medical Support Forum (RMSF)
• The Rural Medical Family Network (RMFN)
• Relocation, training and remote area grants
• Practice sustainability and crisis grants
• CME/locum grants; and
• The Rural Locum Relief Program (RLRP)

RDN has established a comprehensive database of rural general practitioners and their communities and is maintaining and expanding this to meet the needs of all RDN's programs and the minimum data set.

Locum Support
RDN employs salaried locums under the RRGPP. Doctors in remote areas and/or towns with three or fewer GPs are given priority for these locum services. RDN also has a range of other strategies designed to increase the numbers and quality of locums available for short term and/or emergency placements in rural practice.

Rural Locum Relief Program
The Rural Locum Relief Program (RLRP) enables Overseas Trained Doctors (OTDs) and Australian graduates who have completed their internship since 1st November 1996 to access provider numbers to work as GP locums in rural areas.

Australian Doctors Trained Overseas
The NSW RDN has been trying to assist with the placement of Overseas Trained Doctors (OTDs) in suitable rural general practice positions. RDN is working with the key stakeholders to help facilitate the path for suitably skilled and experienced doctors to work in rural general practice.

Divisional Continuing Medical Education
Under the RRGPP the RDN distributes Continuing Professional Development (CPD)/Locum funds to Divisions for implementation at a local level. Divisions have used this money to fund a range of CPD activities and assist with the provision of locum support. The more flexible nature of this program has enabled Divisions to be more innovative with their strategies and Divisions have reported favourably on the assistance and support able to be provided with this funding.

Rural Medical Family Network
The Rural Medical Family Network (RMFN) seeks to support rural medical families in remote and rural areas by aiming to address the needs of rural medical spouses and their families. The RMFN is a voluntary group of doctors partners keen to support each other through formal and informal means. A paid part-time coordinator manages RMFN activities. The RMFN committee decided that a coordinator was required to provide an uncomplicated representation and centralisation of the group, allowing for efficiency in the delivery and provision of support to the RMFN stakeholders. The NSW RMFN has its own website www.rmfn.org.au

NSW Rural Medical Vacancy Booklet/Website
RDN publishes the NSW Rural Medical Vacancy Booklet biannually and also provides a vacancy database on the RDN website www.nswrdn.com.au which can be searched using a variety of categories. The booklet and database contain the most comprehensive list of general practice vacancies in rural and remote NSW. Doctors, health services and local communities can advertise their GP vacancies free of charge.

Rural Education and Training

Rural Medical Scholarships
The NSW RDN offers NSW medical students a number of different scholarships such as Bush Bursaries funded by rural shires of country NSW and scholarships funded by the Country Women's Association (CWA). RDN also manages the New England-North West Development Board Undergraduate Scholarship & the NSW Rural Resident Medical Officers Cadetship Program

Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Rural Health Network
This is a network of undergraduate rural health clubs in five NSW universities. RDN via a Rural health Support Education and Training (RHSET) grant, provides the five Rural Health Clubs with financial support to co-ordinate rural oriented activities. In addition, two workshops per year are provided for students who have committed themselves to an administrative role within the club. A common database to record student rural experiences has been developed in association with the staff from the fiveuniversities participating in the Network. Rural Health Clubs continue to increase in popularity and provide undergraduates from all health disciplines with positive rural experiences as well as a network of potential rural health professionals.

Rural Medical Undergraduates Initiatives Program
RDN provides travel and accommodation subsidies for medical students undertaking rural placements as part of their medical curricula. These subsidies are directed through the three NSW Medical Faculties and are funded by the NSW Department of Health (Rural Medical Undergraduates Initiatives Program) and the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care (the Rural and Remote General Practice Program, Rural Undergraduate Coordination Grant).

Rural Registrar Training Program
The NSW Department of Health provides funds for a number of rural registrar positions. The program is designed for doctors interested in rural practice and are wishing to gain more hospital experience. The registrars are attached to rural base hospitals for nine months and spend three months providing locum service to GPs in general practice/ community medicine. Applicants should be fully registered in NSW.

NSW Rural Workforce Development Forum
RDN recognises that rural medical practitioners work within wider health care teams and thus aim to involve rural allied health workforce in its support for the five NSW Rural Workforce Development Units. The Sydney office thus continues to facilitate and provide project support for the NSW Rural Workforce Development Forum.

The NSW Rural Medical Training Forum
The NSW Rural Medical Training Forum (RMTF) was established by the NSW RDN in 1994 to coordinate undergraduate rural medical education between the three NSW universities. Its educational brief has since extended to incorporate improved coordination with general practice vocational training programs in rural areas.

The forum incorporates all major stakeholders in rural medical education and training and aims to facilitate the development of a vertically integrated rural medical training system that underpins a sustainable rural medical workforce in NSW. It is in a unique position in NSW through its extensive networks to promote regional coordination as well as ensuring vertical integration from rural high school activities through undergraduate to post graduate and vocational training.

Continuing Professional Development

The NSW RDN provides approximately 4 state wide Rural Refresher Weekends aimed at NSW rural doctors and their families. These conferences allow GPs to network, participate in high quality CPD, see a wide variety of pharmaceutical representatives and spend time with their families. The RMFN provides comprehensive babysitting, Kids Club and partner activities to encourage the whole family to attend. RDN also offers two topic specific CPD weekends per year on topics such as anaesthetics and obstetrics.

Research and Development

• Women in Rural Medicine
• Procedural Medicine in Rural NSW
• Sustainable practice
• Succession Planning
• Longitudinal evaluations of undergraduate and high school programs
• Models of community consultations

Divisional Coordination
NSW RDN undertakes rural specific support, coordination and liaison across the 17 NSW Rural Divisions and 3 Victorian Border Divisions and also works closely with the Rural Chapter of ANSWD (Alliance of NSW Divisions). The Rural Chapter of ANSWD is a network of rural GPs representing the 17 NSW Rural Divisions of General Practice. The Rural Chapter of ANSWD also facilitates the development of policy responses from rural doctors on matters that require rural specific input or comment as well as issues pertinent to General Practice.