Recognising the hidden heart: GP proceduralists, the ‘hidden heart’ of rural and regional health in Australia
Dr Marian Robinson, Bogong Regional Training Network, Australia
Dr Graham Slaney, Australia*
Introduction: Townships throughout rural and remote Australia depend on GPs with advanced skills in obstetrics, anaesthetics, surgery and emergency medicine to provide patients with high quality health care on a 24 hour basis. However, rural GP proceduralists are ageing and many are ceasing procedural practice. Importantly, they are often invisible in the system and not widely recognised as a critical force in providing timely and expert specialist care in our local rural and regional hospitals.
Objective: This paper presents findings from a 2008 empirical research study which examined how the landscape of GP procedural practice has changed over the last 20 years. It explores the challenges associated with attracting, training and retaining a new cohort of GP proceduralists for the future.
Method: Structured face-to-face interviews and an electronic survey instrument were used to gather qualitative and quantitative data from 59 practising GP proceduralists, five hospital CEOs and a senior DHS manager located in north east Victoria and southern NSW.
Findings: While the results reveal a substantial demand for GP procedural services in rural and regional Victoria, the continuing existence of a viable and robust workforce of GP proceduralist doctors in many towns is at a tipping point. Although the research paints a somewhat grim picture of the decline in GP procedural medicine, there is much that can be done to ‘turn the tide’.
Conclusions: With a new wave of graduating doctors entering the profession, it is opportune to consider holistic approaches to the recruitment, training and retention of GP proceduralist doctors. It is only in this way that we can ensure that a critical mass of GPs and GP proceduralists are on hand to replace a dwindling GP proceduralist workforce and maintain high levels of care in our rural and remote communities.
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