Country SA will receive a much-needed increase of junior doctors, with the number of regional internships to double in 2019.
From January, five interns will be based at Whyalla Hospital and an additional two in Mount Gambier, which takes total number of interns completing their entire first year of on-the-job training in country SA from five to 12.
The seven new positions are a result of a partnership between Country Health SA, the University of Adelaide and Flinders University, and funded by the federal government.
The benefits will extend beyond the two regional training hubs, with rotations to take place in the Riverland, Port Lincoln and Port Augusta.
Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade said there was great interest throughout the voluntary recruitment process, and he hoped that making these training opportunities available would bring graduates back to practice in regional towns.
“I get strong feedback from medical practitioners that the diversity of opportunities that people have in practicing country medicine is very satisfying, so we need to make sure that they have support that makes those challenges sustainable,” Mr Wade said.
Whyalla Hospital clinical training director Lawrie McArthur said this new rural immersion intern training program would benefit the Eyre Peninsula and northern areas of the state, and provide a “much-needed continuum of rural doctor training between undergraduate and speciality training”.
As we know, there are some critical shortages in regional SA ... and the smaller towns are really struggling to find doctors, so this is a good start.
- PETER RISCHBIETH
Doctors are required to complete a range of different clinical rotations in the first year after graduation in order to progress to the next stage of their career.
Rural Doctors Association of SA president Peter Rischbieth said the move was “a start” towards improving regional doctor shortages, and past rural training programs had been successful in bringing doctors back to the country.
“As we know there are some critical shortages in regional SA, especially the West Coast, and the smaller towns are really struggling to find doctors, so this is a good start,” he said.
“The research is quite clear that if you spend more time as a junior doctor with your training in country hospitals, then that translates into a long-term return to the country.”
Dr Rischbieth said the state government had indicated that more money would be allocated to Country Health SA for junior doctor training in regional hospitals, so there was a possibility of using other sites in the future.
“In the future we’re hoping that there will be registrar training places associated with general practices and with hospitals as well,” Dr Rischbieth said.
Mr Wade said as the capacity of training in country SA builds, it is likely interns may be established at new locations.
A Opposition spokesperson welcomed the announcement of additional intern placements.