Medical Council backs Rural Generalist recognition

After years of advocacy, a bid to have rural generalism recognised as a new medical specialty within general practice has cleared a significant hurdle, following support from the Australian Medical Council (AMC).
 
Under Australian law, for a new medical specialty to be recognised, it must first be assessed and recommended by the AMC.
 
On Thursday, Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler announced that stage is now complete, and an application to recognise rural generalism was expected to be submitted to the Council of Health Ministers for approval ‘soon’.
 
Minister Butler described the move as a ‘critical milestone’ and praised the efforts of the RACGP and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) in their work to ‘advance the recognition of Rural Generalist (RG) specialty’.
 
It comes as one-third of the more than 1750 doctors beginning Government-funded GP training in 2025 will be training as RGs.
 
RACGP Rural Chair Associate Professor Michael Clements described the AMC’s support as an ‘exciting’ step forward.
 
‘We‘re certainly getting closer, and we’re almost there, but there are still a number of steps, including the health ministers from each state needing to sign off on this concept,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘Getting the AMC to support our application and present and escalate it was the key barrier. We do feel that it‘s something that will be supported in its final steps.’
 
The journey towards RG recognition began in 2019, when the RACGP endorsed the National Rural Generalist Pathway in collaboration with the ACRRM and approved development of the RG Fellowship to align with the new pathway launched in 2022.
 
Having the new specialist RG field recognised means it will be incorporated into national law and included on the national register of specialties.
 
Doctors with an approved RG Fellowship qualification will be able to apply for specialist registration in the new field.
 
ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin described the AMC finding as ‘a critical advancement’ towards final approval.
 
‘We have always contended that Rural Generalist Medicine recognition is a key step toward improving rural healthcare, and this has now been affirmed by an exhaustive six-year expert analysis,’ he said.
  
‘The breadth of RGs’ work – which is grounded in primary care but spans multiple specialty areas – is essential to the sustainability of healthcare in rural communities.
 
‘We are tantalisingly close to seeing RGs in Australia gain the recognition they deserve.’
 
Speaking from Canberra this week as part of the RACGP’s annual GPs@Parliament circuit, Associate Professor Clements said it is hoped national recognition will make the rural generalism career path more visible and have an impact on future pay scales to ensure these RGs are appropriately reimbursed for the work they do.
 
‘What’s important is how we use that approval and how we use that recognition moving forward,’ he said.
 
‘For some of our rural GPs that are already doing the RG work, getting recognised is important, but also finding incentives that allow our rural GPs to take on additional training and additional skills in support of hospital work is important, and that‘s where we see the advantage.
 
‘Rural GPs are the bedrocks of the rural communities. This move is about additional skills and additional options that the community can have.’

RACGP President Dr Michael Wright also welcomed the AMC endorsement.

‘All rural GPs, including RGs are critical to the healthcare of many rural, remote, and First Nations communities, and formal recognition will validate the critical work they do every day,’ he said.
 
‘All rural GPs continue to provide essential and valued care to our communities and will now have the opportunity to undertake further training to achieve this nationally recognised endpoint if their community is in need.’
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

ACRRM GP workforce rural general practice rural generalism rural medicine