Media release Tuesday 12 March 2019 Multi-pronged approach needed to boost rural doctor workforce Long-term initiatives are needed to entice more Australian-trained doctors to the bush, in light of a new Federal Government plan to reduce the number of overseas trained doctors (OTDs) entering Australia's primary healthcare system by 800 over the next four years, the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) warned today. In particular, RDAA has highlighted the urgent need for the Government to invest in the rollout phase of the proposed National Rural Generalist Pathway, to deliver more Australian-trained doctors with advanced skills to rural and remote communities. "While we believe the Government's new Visas for GPs initiative is a good idea - given Australia is now graduating more home grown doctors - the reality is that within the next four years we will have brought in 800 less OTDs, with further cuts possible in the years thereafter" RDAA President, Dr Adam Coltzau, said. "At the same time, there is still a long way to go in attracting more Australian-trained medical graduates to rural and remote communities. Many are still opting to work in the city. "Currently, OTDs make up about 40% of Australia's rural doctor workforce, and they are highly-valued. "Without exploring other medical workforce initiatives to address the maldistribution of doctors - by encouraging and providing opportunities for more Australian-trained medical graduates to train and work rurally - the visa reduction program could eventually impact on rural communities. "The Government has been a great supporter of the development phase of the National Rural Generalist Pathway, which would deliver more young Australian-trained doctors with advanced skills to rural and remote communities. "Now is the time for the Government to invest in the Pathway's implementation, to bring it online and deliver the next generation of rural doctors with the right skills to the country communities that are crying out for them. "We also need to see more serious effort and co-operation by the state health systems and specialist colleges in working with the Regional Training Hubs to boost the amount of specialist training being undertaken in regional and rural communities. Many young doctors who would otherwise pursue a career as a rural specialist currently have to relocate to the city - often for many years - to access the training they need, and they often never return to rural Australia. "This must be about a true commitment to deliver medical services closer to home for rural Australians. "We'll be watching this year's Federal Budget closely in the hope that additional funding will be allocated to make the implementation of the National Rural Generalist Pathway a reality." A high resolution photo of Dr Adam Coltzau can be found via this link: https://www.rdaa.com.au/documents/item/182 Available for interview: RDAA President, Dr Adam Coltzau RDAA CEO, Peta Rutherford, on 0427 638 374 Media contacts: Patrick Daley on 0408 004 890 RDAA National Office on 02 6239 7730