I was privileged to speak at the 32nd Annual Rural and Remote Medicine Conference in Winnipeg, held by the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada. This was a fantastic opportunity to engage in some networking on an international level, with other GPs from a country that has a very similar health landscape to Australia. The presentation was based around successes and lessons learnt through rural general practice initiatives, and covered both Federal and RACGP-led financial incentives that have been successful in filling registrar positions in some of our most needful rural communities.
 

I then flew to Christchurch for the NZ Rural Medicine Conference where many issues are the same albeit with different funding models and different accents. There is a lot to be gained by countries sharing their challenges and successes and I encourage our members to consider including our international colleagues in their CPD and conference planning.
 
With the opening of the RACGP Rural Awards nomination period, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to nominate outstanding individuals who exemplify excellence in rural general practice. This is a chance to recognise and celebrate the dedication, leadership, and contributions of exceptional supervisors, GPs, Rural Generalists, and registrars who are making a significant impact in their communities. Whether it’s a supervisor who goes above and beyond to support learning, a GP or RG providing outstanding care in challenging settings, or a registrar showing great promise and commitment to rural health, your nomination can help shine a light on their important work. Let’s ensure that the excellence within our rural workforce is acknowledged and appreciated. Nominate now.
 
Submissions are open until 20 June for the 2026–29 RACGP Advocacy Plan and we want to hear your voice. Your feedback will be used by the Rural Council and committees to define clear advocacy objectives. If you would like to help us shape the new plan and make sure the RACGP’s advocacy reflects your priorities and the priorities of your patients, make a submission today via the website.
 
Lastly, I wanted to provide some information surrounding resources available to help practices manage expectations around bulk billing. The incentive changes are quite meaningful for rural and remote clinics, and we would reasonably expect to see an increase in the number of patients bulk billed in some communities. We know those practices already bulk-billing in remote and rural areas should see a significant benefit. However, in many cases the incentives will still not be sufficient to recruit the right doctors and staff and run a viable practice, so we have created a list of resources that can be used to support your messaging. This includes posters and ‘on hold’ scripts informing patients whether your billing policies will remain the same or change.

A/Prof Michael Clements
Chair, RACGP Rural

Do you know an extraordinary GP, medical student or GP in training going above and beyond? Nominate them for an RACGP Rural Award today!
 
GPs receive all kinds of acknowledgements from their patients, but it is important to formally celebrate this work and dedication to holistic patient care.
 
The RACGP Rural Awards recognise outstanding achievements and exceptional individuals for their contribution to rural general practice. This year, we’re seeking nominations for the:

• Brian Williams Award
• Rural Registrar of the Year Award
• Rural Generalist of the Year Award
• Medical Student Bursary
• Rural Community Research Project of the Year.

Congratulations to our Rural Generalist New Fellows!

Congratulations to our new Rural Generalist Fellows who completed FRACGP-RG in April 2025.

Finding the right mentor

RACGP Rural’s Doctors for Women in Rural Medicine Committee invites you to join our next online member meet-up with special guest speaker Professor Jenny May, National Rural Health Commissioner.
 
We know rural women GPs often work in isolation or with limited peer networks and professional interactions, especially when it comes to navigating leadership roles, advocacy or practice ownership.
 
Professor Jenny May will share practical advice on finding the right mentor – from identifying the right person to building a relationship that supports your growth and goals. 
 
Date: Thursday 5 June
Time: 7.30–8.30 pm AEST
Location: Online via Zoom
 
Register here
 

Introduction to Point-of-care Ultrasound - Townsville

RACGP Rural invites you to attend an Introduction to Point-of-care Ultrasound workshop in Geelong.
 
Date: Saturday 12 July 2025
Time: 8.30am – 4.30pm
Venue: James Cook University Townsville, Bebegu Yumba Campus, 1 James Cook Drive, Douglas 4814
Cost: $995 for RACGP members, $695 for RACGP registrars

About the course:
This full-day workshop will help increase your understanding of the applications of point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnostic process. Experts will guide you through the diverse applications of point-of-care ultrasound in rural primary care. You will be introduced to basic techniques using advanced, high-end mobile ultrasound equipment provided by our sponsor GE HealthCare.
 
The workshop is capped at 30 participants to allow increased hands-on experience. Participants will rotate through six ultrasound skills stations:

• eFast
• deep venous thrombosis
• heart and lung ultrasound
• intravenous line placement and foreign object retrieval
• musculoskeletal soft tissue
• first trimester transabdominal obstetric ultrasound.

This workshop is sponsored by our partner GE HealthCare.

The Rural Procedural Grants Program (RPGP) helps cover the cost of professional development for GPs who provide procedural and/or emergency medicine services in unsupervised settings in rural and remote areas.

Not in the program?
Join the RPGP. It’s a great opportunity to access financial assistance, maintain or update your procedural and or emergency medicine skills so you can continue to provide vital services to your rural or remote community. You may be eligible for up to $32,000 in funding per financial year, depending on the services you are credentialed to provide.

If you have any questions about the RPGP, or your eligibility, we’re here to help. The dedicated RPGP team can support you throughout the application or claims process and assist with any queries. Please visit our website, email the team or give us a call on 1800 636 764 for more information. 

RACGP Advocacy Plan

Submissions are now open for the 2026-29 Advocacy Plan and we want to hear your voice. Our first Advocacy Plan resulted in some great commitments in the latest Government budget, with a $8.5 billion boost to Medicare and significant investment in the GP workforce secured. We want to build on these wins with a new advocacy plan that aligns with the 2025–29 RACGP Strategic Plan. 

We’re committed to member-led advocacy, and we want to ensure this plan is built by and for members. Submissions will be open until 20 June. All submissions will be reviewed, and the combined feedback will be used by faculty councils, RACGP expert committees, and other groups within the RACGP to define clear advocacy objectives. If you would like to help us shape the new plan and make sure the RACGP’s advocacy reflects your priorities and the priorities of your patients, make a submission today: https://www.racgp.org.au/advocacy/2026-29-advocacy-plan-consultation
 

Apply for the General Practitioner Procedural Training Support Program

The General Practitioner Procedural Training Support Program (GPPTSP) provides $40,000 for eligible GP Fellows to the RANZCOG Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) or Advanced Rural Skills Training in Anaesthesia.

The GPPTSP aims to improve access to obstetric and anaesthetic services for women living in rural and remote communities by supporting GP Fellows to attain procedural skills in obstetrics or anaesthetics.
 
Eligibility
To be considered, applicants must be working principally in Monash Modified Model classifications MMM 3–7 and have achieved Fellowship of the RACGP and/or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
 
How to apply
Obstetrics – applications are open until 10 July 2025. Visit the RANZCOG website to apply.

Anaesthetics – visit the ACRRM website for more information and to apply.

Rural Health Connect

Rural Health Connect is a telehealth platform and social enterprise with more than 400 psychologists registered, linking rural Australians to psychologists over video and phone calls. Sessions are bulk billed or low cost and clients choose the provider that suits them best. We exist to improve access to mental health services in rural Australia and to link people to the right practitioner for them. After receiving a referral, we will call your patient within two business days to assist them to get booked in. Elderly, culturally and linguistically diverse people, or those without strong technology skills will be provided extra support to register. We will write to you as soon as your patient registers or if they do not engage, to keep you informed. We welcome the opportunity to work with you to support your patients.
 
Please visit https://ruralhealthconnect.com.au/ or for referring information, click here.

Registrations open now – RHIPER Conference 2025

Registrations are now open for the inaugural Rural Health International Place-based Education and Research (RHIPER) Conference.
 
The conference is hosted by the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network’s (RMCLHN) Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence (RACE) and will be held in Murray Bridge, South Australia, from Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 October.
 
The conference theme is Place Matters: Transforming education and research to strengthen rural and remote healthcare. A place-based approach to improving healthcare access and outcomes through locally driven education and research. 
 
The aim of the conference is to bring together national and international rural clinicians and researchers interested in clinical and non-clinical research, policy and/or education.
It will be a valuable opportunity to connect and discuss best practice and exciting opportunities relating to rural healthcare.
 
Conference agenda
Day one of the conference will be an opportunity to network and attend local experiences in the region, followed by canapés in the evening.
 
Day two of the conference will include research presentations and a plenary session with guest speaker Professor Sonia Kumar, Founding Executive Dean of Medicine at St Mary’s University London on Community Engaged Medical Education.
 
Day three of the conference will be a policy workshop with Professor Jenny May AM, National Rural Health Commissioner, and the Hon. Fiona Nash, Regional Education Commissioner.
A conference dinner will also be held on the Thursday evening.
 
Register now here.

Become an RACGP-accredited training site - EOIs now open!

The RACGP is seeking to accredit new training sites in areas of identified workforce need across Australia.

We invite expressions of interest from practices and supervisors in the targeted MM2-7 regions or MM1 regions listed on our website.

By becoming an accredited RACGP training site, you’ll: 

• contribute to your community’s GP workforce needs 
• boost your practice’s reputation as a training site 
• play a key role in shaping future GP registrars in your area. 

As an accredited training site, you’ll also have access to RACGP support and resources, as well as financial incentives in the form of supervisor and teaching payments to assist with the training of GP registrars. 

Click here to submit your EOI.

Online Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS ST)

RACGP Rural’s Online Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS ST) package provides GPs with essential training to enable them to become a GP provider of Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) and provide cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-derived counselling to patients in their practice.
 
This flexible, fully online and accredited training package uses technology, peer learning groups and locally available resources to provide GPs with access to complete all the requirements of FPS ST, without leaving their home or practice. 
 
On completion GPs can register with Medicare as FPS providers and access FPS related MBS numbers 2721, 2723, 2725 and 2727.
 
The General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) is currently offering GPs a training subsidy that covers part of the cost of completing accredited Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS ST). The subsidy is limited and subject to availability.
 
Eligible GPs will be reimbursed $600 once they complete the requirements for the Online FPS ST package and register as GP providers of FPS with Medicare Australia. For more information on the FPS training subsidy, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, visit the GPMHSC website.