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Rural Health Workforce Australia is the national peak body for advocacy and representation on Australian rural and remote health workforce issues. RHWA represents Rural Workforce Agencies in all states and the Northern Territory of Australia. Rural Health Workforce Australia is the national peak body for advocacy and representation on Australian rural and remote health workforce issues. RHWA represents Rural Workforce Agencies in all states and the Northern Territory of Australia.

Rural Workforce Agencies

Rural Health Workforce Australia (RHWA) supports and represents the seven Rural Workforce Agencies (RWAs) that operate in each State and the Northern Territory.

Rural Workforce Agencies directly recruit and support GPs in rural and remote communities through a number of services:

  • Promotion of rural Australia as a workplace here and overseas
  • Provision of information on rural practice and opportunities to students, graduates, registrars and practitioners
  • Assistance to navigate doctors through the system including registration, obtaining provider numbers and immigration
  • Provision of relocation assistance and relocation grants
  • Orientation of Overseas Trained Doctors to rural Australia
  • Delivery of family support programs
  • Provision of upskilling training and grants for rural doctors
  • Delivery of a variety of education and training programs for rural doctors including emergency skills
  • Provision of locum services
  • Workforce planning and national rural general practice minimum data set collation and analysis
  • Assistance to communities to develop sustainable health services
  • Policy input and advice on rural health service issues and needs
  • Collaborative working relationships with education providers, rural health services, Divisions of General Practice, government and community organisations

    Click on the map to link to our state members’ websites. 
     
 Map General Practice and Primary Health Care in the Northern Territory Health Workforce Solutions for Rural Western Australia Rural Doctors Workforce Agency - South Australia GP Recruitment Tasmania RWAV - Rural Workforce Agency Victoria NSW RDN, Recruiting & Supporting GPs in rural NSW sdfsdfsdf

Funding

RHWA and its member RWAs are funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing; RWAs are also funded by their respective State Governments for various programs, services and projects. RWAs also administer and deliver programs for other non-GP health professionals, such as the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program or workforce support for Aboriginal Community Controlled Services.
 

Rural Workforce Agencies –providing solutions for the future

  • The RWAs have significant workforce development, support and research expertise and experience.
  • Australia needs improved understanding of the types and mix of health professionals and services required to meet the needs of local populations. This will involve developing a benchmark of service access.  To achieve this, we will need to invest in the strengthening of existing data collection methods.
  • RWAs have considerable expertise in the collection of workforce data on the ground. RWAs hold a longitudinal dataset of rural GPs, without compare.  This allows RWAs to take an evidence-based approach to their workforce planning.
  • While RWAs were established to focus on the more remote communities, more and more rural communities require workforce support.  RWAs will focus on the highest needs first, however they continue to work to offer innovative solutions for the future, and to prevent further crises where possible.
  • With appropriate resourcing and opportunities for infrastructure development, the RWAs can facilitate the development of integrated models in many rural and remote communities – an important component in attracting a sustainable and stronger new workforce.