Joint media release

Rural and remote patients will have access to a wider range of health services in their community following an announcement today by the Federal Government.

Regional Heath Minister, Mark Coulton said regional, rural, and remote communities throughout Australia will benefit from the $115 million extension to the Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF).

“This fund brings doctors and health professionals to patients, rather than the other way around, allowing many thousands of people to receive their health care closer to home,” Minister Coulton said.

“The Government’s decision to continue the outreach fund is good news for patients, families, businesses, and doctors in many areas which aren’t big enough to have a full complement of health services.”

Minister Coulton said the fund supports medical specialists, GPs, and allied and other health providers to visit rural, regional and remote areas, by subsidising the costs of travel, facility hire, and equipment leasing.

Joining Minister Coulton for the announcement in Port Macquarie, Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan said the fund was providing vital services to patients in his community.

“I’m pleased to be a member of a Government that works hard to improve health outcomes for regional Australians,” Mr Conaghan said.

“I know here in Port Macquarie this program has provided training to some local GPs from specialist spinal physicians so they can better care for residents with spinal cord injuries.

“Additionally, it has provided outreach maintenance consultations to these patients, helping them once they have been discharged from a metro spinal unit.”

The program predominantly focusses on mental health, eye health, chronic disease management, and maternity and paediatric health.

More than 200,000 patients nationwide receive services each year under the RHOF.

Across the country, the program is helping improve the health of rural and remote communities, helping provide: podiatry care in Broken Hill NSW; specialist cardiology visits to Kimba, Cleve, and Wudinna communities in South Australia; accessible, bulk-billed gynaecological services in Wonthaggi Victoria; comprehensive health services to the Martu people in their remote Little Sandy and Gibson Deserts communities; maternity and midwifery services in Palm Island in Queensland; specialist ophthalmology to remote Northern Territory communities; and multi-disciplinary chronic pain management services in Tasmania’s North-West.

Chief executive officer of the NSW fundholder, the Rural Doctors Network NSW, Richard Colbran said the RHOF provides an important opportunity to upskill local health practitioners.

“RDN administers the RHOF in NSW and we have seen first-hand how the fund helps diversify and improve the skillsets among local health professionals including GPs, practice nurses and Aboriginal Health Workers,” Mr Colbran said.

“Visiting services supported through the RHOF are reflective of community prioritised health needs and work with local services to provide communities with the range of services they need to remain vital and viable.”

Minister Coulton said the Federal Government is committed to improving health services for people living, working, and travelling in rural and remote Australia.

“The Government has taken action to support regional, rural, and remote Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Minister Coulton said.

“These include opening more than 80 new GP-led respiratory health clinics in rural and regional areas, a further $22.8 million for staffed mobile respiratory clinics and remote health service support and $30.0 million for aeromedical support to allow speedy evacuation of people suspected to have COVID-19.”

BACKGROUND:

The current RHOF fundholders will all continue in their roles for the four-year extension. RHOF funds are distributed to the following eight fundholders:

• NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN);
• Rural Workforce Agency Victoria;
• Tasmanian Department of Health;
• Northern Territory Department of Health;
• Rural Health West (WA);
• Rural Doctors Workforce Agency (SA);
• CheckUP (QLD); and
• Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).

ENDS

Media contacts:

Minister Coulton – Steph Nicholls 0417 314 920

Mr Conaghan – Liz Spry 0418 928 744