Federal Coalition Government announces 26 Regional Health Training Hubs and 3 new University Departments of Rural Health to boost clinical training in regional Australia
Health and medical students will have greater opportunities to live, study and work in rural and regional Australia as part of the Federal Coalition’s Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program – another key initiative aimed at boosting Australia’s regional and rural health workforce.
Under the RHMT program $54.4 million has been allocated over 2016-17 to 2018-19 for new Regional Training Hubs and University Departments of Rural Health (UDRH). Assistant Minister for Health, Dr David Gillespie, today announced the locations of 26 regional training hubs and three new UDRHs, and the universities that will operate them.
“Both of these initiatives of the Coalition Government support high quality rural placements for health students from across Australia, to help ensure rural communities have access to doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals in the future,” Minister Gillespie said.
“Training facilities like University Departments of Rural Health are essential to the regional health workforce of the future.”
With funding of $26 million, University of Notre Dame (WA), Charles Sturt University (NSW) and University of Queensland (QLD) have been selected to establish UDRHs in, respectively, Broome and the Kimberley in Western Australia, southern and central New South Wales, and South-East Queensland. This now takes the number of UDRHs across Australia to 15.
Each of these Departments will support current health workforce priorities in their region, and expand support for clinical placement activity for nursing, midwifery, dental or allied health students.
Minister Gillespie said the 26 new Regional Training Hubs across rural and regional Australia, form an essential component of the Integrated Rural Training Pipeline for Medicine.
“These hubs will work with local health services to help move medical students through the pipeline, enabling students to continue rural training through university into postgraduate medical training, and then working within rural Australia,” Minister Gillespie said.
“Supporting high quality regional and rural health training is not only an important way to address rural health workforce shortages, but also maintain and improve overall services in the bush. Good quality accessible health services are an important and essential part in the growth of a regional economy,” Minister Gillespie said.
“These initiatives will also help the Federal Coalition Government deliver on our commitment to provide first rate health and medical services to all Australians – regardless of where they live,” he added.
The Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton, said the Regional Training Hub will work with local health services to help move medical students through the pipeline, enabling students to continue rural training through university into postgraduate medical training, and then work within rural Australia.
“These announcements strengthen Dubbo and the surrounding region as a destination for health education and training. It’s a great place for students to learn, but also provides pathways for them to continue a career in the region,” Mr Coulton said.
“Supporting rural health training is an important way to address rural health workforce shortages,” Minister Gillespie said.
“These initiatives will help the Australian Government deliver on its commitment to provide first rate health and medical services to all Australians – regardless of where they live.”