The Department of Health has entered a compact with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) to improve access to quality health care services in rural and regional areas.
The compact was announced jointly by the Ministers for Health and Rural Health, Greg Hunt and Senator Bridget McKenzie, who said it was vital to ensure that doctors, no matter where they lived and worked, received the support and training they needed to provide world class health services.
Senator McKenzie said the compact would help improve access to quality health care services for rural and regional people.
“Ensuring that regional and rural Australians can access high quality health care is a key priority,” Senator McKenzie said.
“The compact recognises the pivotal role ACRRM plays in strengthening the Australian health care system and the shared vision to improve access and services in the regions.”
She said it acknowledged the role of the ACRRM as a peak body that set the standards for training general practitioners to ensure high quality care by doctors in communities across the nation.
Mr Hunt said the Government and ACRRM understood the unique challenges of providing health care in rural and remote Australia and the importance of an appropriate workforce of primary care health professionals.
Senator McKenzie also launched the Workforce Scholarship Program, which allocated $11 million over three years to help make health services more accessible for people living in country areas.
“The Workforce Scholarship Program provides support based on the needs of communities — whether for GPs, nurses, dentists or allied health professionals,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Support may be provided to health professionals already working in areas experiencing a shortage of services, or to those willing to move to areas where there is a lack of services.”
