I would first like to welcome everyone back to what has so far been a great start to 2025. I hope you all had a wonderful festive break and have come back feeling rejuvenated for a busy year ahead!

With the announcement of the Federal election looming I know that many people here at RACGP are busy advocating for general practice to ensure we get the funding that we need where we need it. In addition to this, I urge you all as GPs to talk to your local MPs and candidates about issues that are important to you and the rural communities you serve. You may also consider joining the RACGP GP Advocate Network where you’ll receive training and support to help build long-term relationships with elected representatives in your local community.

In other news, the second and final stage assessment of the joint application to the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) by ACRRM and RACGP for Rural Generalist specialist recognition has been completed with the Australian Medical Council (AMC) review panel supporting the joint application as demonstrating a case for recognition. The AMC will present the report to the MBA along with their support to recognise Rural Generalists as a new field of specialty practice. The MBA will then make a decision on whether to recommend recognition to the Ministerial Council, of which a determination would be expected in the first half of 2025. This is some fantastic progress and is something that RACGP Rural has been advocating for over a number of years.

We’ve had another big win with HealthLink offering to pause the introduction of their fee-based subscription model. The RACGP will be working with HealthLink on a solution that better supports GP practices, hopefully one without additional, unexpected costs.


A/Prof Michael Clements
Chair, RACGP Rural

I trust you had at least some time to spend with family and friends over the holiday season.

Moving into the New Year, the approaching election is an important time to concentrate on further support for GPs and their practices. Over the last few months, when asked to comment on rural general practice (ABC News and rural Channel 7 News in Victoria have been reasonably regular contacts), the queries have largely been about getting more workforce for rural areas and the supports needed to achieve that.

I have discussed the pressures on rural general practice, and keep repeating the need for increased Medicare rebates for longer GP items, which is a theme the College has been pushing for a while. I point out that rural patients may present with several issues after travelling to a town to get to a GP, and that these often involve additional discussion about the logistics of any management process as well as the problem itself. These are further time pressures for rural practicing GPs.  And rural GPs often have to manage more complex patient health needs to a greater extent than urban GPs due to the lack of viable alternatives for their patients.

I am currently based in Victoria, so I will be attending rural events in the southern states this year representing RACGP Rural. The RWAV conference next month is on my list. Hopefully I can catch up with a reasonable number of rural GPs. Please discuss your concerns – and suggestions – with me if you spot me at one of these.

All the best for 2025.
 

Dr Rodney Omond

Deputy Chair, RACGP Rural

Further progress on rural generalist recognition

The Australia Medical Council (AMC) has endorsed the RACGP and ACRRM’s joint application for Rural Generalist Medicine (RGM) recognition. The AMC presented their assessment report to the Medical Board of Australia in December, advising that the proposal demonstrates a case for RGM to be recognised as a new field of specialty practice. 
 
We welcome and support this progress, as RGM forms a critical part of rural and remote primary health service delivery, particularly in areas of workforce need. Ongoing support for our rural and remote GPs remains fundamental in meeting the health needs of all Australian communities.  
 
We encourage GPs with Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FARGP) or RACGP Fellows (FRACGP) with rural and remote experience to apply for the RACGP’s Rural Generalist (RG) Fellowship. 
 
If RGM is recognised as a new field of specialty practice, earning the RG Fellowship means you’ll be formally recognised as an RG and remunerated for the additional skills you use to support the needs of your rural or remote community.   
 
We also acknowledge that many competent and hardworking rural doctors do not wish to work with the extended scope of a RG. While RG is an important part of the rural workforce solution, it is not the only solution, and the RACGP is committed to recruiting, training and advocating for rural GPs, regardless of their chosen scope of practice. 
 
Visit our website to learn more. 

Online member meet-up: Embracing emerging technologies

RACGP Rural’s Doctors for Women in Rural Medicine (DWRM) Committee aims to elevate, empower and encourage women working in rural practice by working to identify and meet their unique interests, challenges and needs and empower them to reach their full professional capacity, in turn supporting rural communities.

Join DWRM’s February online meet-up to connect with colleagues from around Australia. We will be joined by Dr Amandeep Hansra, member of the RACGP Digital Health Specific Interest Group who will present on how emerging technologies (including AI) can help busy female rural GPs improve efficiency and patient care.

Come and join the conversation:
 
Date: Thursday 13 February 2025
Time: 8.00 – 9.00pm AEDT
Venue: Online via Zoom

Rural Aged Care survey

RACGP Rural is looking to gather feedback surrounding rural GPs working within the aged care sector. This feedback will be utilised to inform and update our position statement on GP-led rural aged care and the barriers surrounding service provision. This survey should take approximately 10-15 minutes. We appreciate any feedback given and thank you for your time.

The link to our survey can be found here.

AGPT Rural and Rural Generalist Training

A successful selection campaign in 2024 resulted in 585 Registrars accepting a rural pathway place to commence AGPT training with the RACGP in 2025. This group are spread across the nation and will commence in either a hospital placement or as a GPT1 in community general practice throughout January and early February. 
 
Orientation for the GPT 1 registrars will be rolled out by the state teams across the nation during January/February in locations that spread far and wide including wonderful rural locations - from Townsville QLD to Gippsland VIC, across to Albany WA and up to Darwin in the NT- and more! (New cohort in Albany WA pictured).
 
Overall, for 2025 we have over 1200 AGPT Registrars working in our rural communities across the spectrum of GP training. Notably 11% of registrars on the general pathway will complete a rural placement in 2025.1 – an excellent upward trend!
 
Rural Generalism with the RACGP continues to grow in popularity.  Over 300 AGPT registrars are enrolled in the RG Curriculum at various stages in their training journey.  Many will commence their ARST (Advanced Rural Skills Training) placements in February across a broad range of disciplines. Anaesthetics, Obstetrics and Emergency continue to be a popular choice, however, our RACGP Curriculums including Palliative Care, Child Health and Aboriginal Health have increasing numbers and several registrars have elected our new STRGP (Small Town Rural General Practice) as their ARST of choice – very exciting! 
 
The Rural training team are committed to increasing our training footprint in the ARST space and will continue to identify and accredit sites throughout 2025.

Congratulations to our Rural Generalist New Fellows!

Every month we’ll be celebrating our Rural Generalist New Fellows in this newsletter.

Congratulations to Dr Marika Goodman, Tolga QLD who completed FRACGP-RG with an ARST in Anaesthesia in December 2024.

Find out more about the Rural Generalist Fellowship

Boost your skills with the Rural Procedural Grants Program

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?
Joining the RPGP is a great opportunity to access financial assistance to 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 more than $20,000 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. 

The Rural Health Webinar Series is back in 2025, presenting free monthly webinars on rural and remote health topics, delivered by GPs and medical professionals for rural GPs.
 
Check out the first three webinars below:
 

Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshops

Point-of-care ultrasound is an increasingly affordable and efficient diagnostic tool in general practice, particularly in areas with limited access to specialist services. RACGP Rural is holding ultrasound workshops around Australia for rural GPs.
 
Why attend?
The full-day workshop will 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 primary care services using advanced, high-end mobile ultrasound equipment provided by our sponsor, GE HealthCare.
 
The workshop
The workshop begins with an introduction by a GP with ultrasound expertise to explain the benefits of ultrasound and its various applications. For the remainder of the day, participants will rotate through six skills stations.
 
This workshop is a CPD accredited activity and is approved for all categories of the Rural Procedural Grants Program.