TWO new GP trainees have hit the ground in the Mid Eyre Medical Practice, improving access for patients in the Eyre and Far North region.
Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade said the new trainees would complete their GP training as part of the Remote Vocational Training Scheme, while delivering important medical services to communities in the Eyre Peninsula.
"The government is focussed on ensuring Eyre and Far North residents have access to better healthcare, closer to home, and the recruitment of these new trainees is helping us deliver on that commitment," he said.
"We know it's challenging to recruit and retain young doctors in regional areas, which is why we are investing in training programs such as this, to encourage young medical professionals to work and live in regional areas.
"We are committed to boosting our rural health workforce to ensure regional South Australians can continue to access the care they need, when and where they need it."
The two GP trainee positions were secured through collaboration between the RVTS and the Rural Doctors Workforce Association, with assistance from various local councils, Commonwealth and state government.
Eyre and Far North Local Health Network chief executive officer Verity Paterson said the commencement of additional clinicians would allow Mid-Eyre Medical Practice to expand GP consulting services to more remote parts of the region.
"Following the commencement of the trainee GPs last week, it is hoped GP consulting services will be able to expand to deliver services to more remote locations within our Local Health Network," she said.
"In particular, expanding consultations to Cowell and Kimba will help to attract young medical professionals to the regions.
"The trainees began orientation last week, which includes an extensive induction to familiarise themselves with the practice, before commencing consultations in the coming weeks.
"We would like to thank the community for their ongoing support and efforts to secure the expansion of GP services at the Mid-Eyre Medical Practice."
RDWA CEO Lyn Poole said the GP registrars, who are being supported by the RVTS, would have the opportunity to gain their GP Fellowship and remain in the same practice throughout their training.
"GP trainees in regional or remote areas gain a unique experience that allows them to further their studies while providing clinical services for locals closer to home," she said.
"Programs such as these are an important way to secure the workforce needed for the future of rural health, while offering a great training opportunity and invaluable hands-on experience in clinical practice."
RVTS CEO Pat Giddings said the training scheme was an Australian government initiative with a long history of supporting doctors in remote communities to gain GP Fellowship.
"For more than 20 years, RVTS has provided a proven workforce solution in remote and rural communities," Dr Giddings said.
"RVTS doctors stay in their community throughout training and are linked into a nationwide network of medical educators, supervisors, and fellow registrars.
"There are significant benefits to the doctors, who get to stay in the one place while they do their training, while the community reaps the benefit from having a skilled doctor in an area where it may be difficult to retain or attract a medical workforce."
The two new GP trainees began at Mid-Eyre Medical last week, with the expansion of GP services expected in the coming months.
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