The Albanese Government is delivering on another election commitment, with new incentives to encourage more doctors with advanced skills to work in regional, rural and remote Australia.
Eligible rural generalists and general practitioners (GPs) with advanced skills can now apply for incentives of up to $21,000 a year through a new payment known as the Workforce Incentives Program (WIP) - Rural Advanced Skills payment.
The new payments will see more doctors with qualifications in areas like mental health, obstetrics, surgery, anaesthetics and First Nations health, working in regions that have too often struggled to attract doctors with these skills.
Between $4,000 and $10,500 per year is available to doctors providing these advanced skills services, with a separate payment of $4,000 to $10,500 per year also available to eligible doctors providing emergency care.
Doctors may be eligible for both payments.
The new incentives were an election commitment from the Albanese Government and were funded in the October 2022-23 Budget, to recognise and grow the services provided by country doctors.
This builds on other work to make it easier to see a doctor in regional, rural and remote Australia, like:
- the Working Better for Medicare Review - to encourage health workers to live and work where they're needed most;
- the Unleashing the Potential of Our Health Workforce Review - to ensure that, wherever they work, every health professional can provide every bit of their skills, training and experience;
- a $90 million investment that will see an extra 160 medical students each year begin end-to-end rural medical training in rural communities.
