AS many as 10 additional junior doctors will be trained locally from next year, as the region’s local health network looks to address doctor shortages in the Riverland.
The Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) will offer 30 rotations across the region for interns and second-year doctors through the Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence (RACE), which was launched earlier this year.
RMCLHN executive director of clinical innovation, Professor Paul Worley, said the new positions, which will commence in early 2022, would allow and encourage junior doctors to complete their full training in the region.
“We have the medical students and we have the GP registrars, now we are getting the doctors in the middle that will link between the student placements and the registrar placements,” he said.
“Each doctor would look at four to five rotations, so we’ll be looking to recruit up to 10 doctors for next year.
Dr Worley said the new programs would create a “one-stop shop in the Riverland to become a doctor”.
“Our doctors have been calling for this approach for decades,” he said.
“These training positions are in both hospitals and general practice because we recognise that we need to recruit and train rural generalists – doctors who can provide general practice, emergency and other hospital services.”
Initial training positions will include posts across the Riverland, including in Berri, Barmera, Renmark and Waikerie, with applicants considering rural general practice receiving preference.
“The first focus is going to be around the Riverland towns, and then it will spread out across the whole region,” Prof Worley said.
“Likewise, the first focus is on medicine, and then it will spread out to allied health, nursing and midwifery.”
Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone said in-region training was important to address health workforce shortages across the Riverland.
“I think it’s a great initiative, so I’m working with SA Health and the Health Minister (Stephen Wade) to make sure that funding will be put to good use and having training up here,” he said.
“We’re looking at initiatives where we can help train staff in the regions so we can have retention of those staff numbers to stay in our country hospitals, which is critical to any form of health service.”
Prof Worley said RACE was a “paradigm shift” for how medical staff are trained in the Riverland.
“This accreditation is a real vote of confidence for the quality of the doctors who have put their hands up to be supervisors and in the quality of the health services in both the hospitals and general practices across our region,” he said.
“In terms of the planning for this over the last few years, there needs to be credit to our CEO Wayne Champion and chairman Dr Peter Joyner for the leadership they have shown in paving the way.
“We can now be right at the forefront of the National Rural Generalist Pathway, which was the policy I developed for the Commonwealth Government when I was National Rural Health Commissioner.
“Dr Caroline Phegan is the other leader as our executive director of medical services has been instrumental as well.”
Prof Worley said RACE would also allow the RMCLHN to collaborate with researchers to improve medical practice in the region, and “develop a culture of quality improvement in our health services”.
“Watch this space,” he said.
“There will be more collaborations and more opportunities for Riverland residents to get the latest treatments and, if they have ideas on how things can be improved, to work with us to improve health services.”
Applications for the positions are run through South Australian Medical Education and Training, and close in June.