Media alert
Wednesday 22 March 2017
Rural doctors to hold breakfast briefing
for federal politicians
Exciting new era of Rural Generalist Medicine to be key focus
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Parliament House, Canberra, next Wednesday 29 March 2017
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) will hold its eighth annual breakfast briefing for federal
politicians at Parliament House in Canberra next Wednesday, 29 March 2017.
Approximately 40 federal politicians (including Ministers, Shadow Ministers, MPs and Senators) — as well as
senior political advisors and key representatives from the Australian Government Department of Health —
will meet with 24 rural doctors from right across Australia, to discuss the key issues impacting on rural
doctors and their patients.
A key focus of the breakfast will be an exciting new era of Rural Generalist Medicine in Australia, which is
close to becoming a reality.
Legislation is currently before the Federal Parliament to establish a National Rural Health Commissioner,
who — once in place — will be tasked with developing and rolling-out a National Rural Generalist Pathway to
deliver a new generation of Rural Generalist doctors with advanced medical skills to rural and remote
communities across Australia.
Rural Generalist doctors provide both general practice care in their rural or remote communities and
advanced medical care like anaesthetics, obstetrics, general surgery, endoscopy, and accident and
emergency care. Some also provide advanced non-procedural care like advanced mental healthcare and
advanced Indigenous care. Rural Generalist doctors have undertaken advanced training in order to provide
this care.
Speaking at the breakfast will be:
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Dr Ewen McPhee, RDAA President and a rural procedural GP and practice principal from Emerald in
Queensland.
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Professor Richard Murray, a former RDAA Board Member and key advocate for Rural Generalist
Medicine and the rollout of a National Rural Generalist Pathway
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Three rural doctors who are at different stages of their training journey to become Rural
Generalist doctors — including one who has recently commenced her training; one who is nearing the
completion of her training; and one who has completed his training and (in addition to his general
practice work) is now providing advanced medical care services in anaesthetics, obstetrics and
endoscopy in rural Queensland.
The breakfast briefing will be followed by a meeting of RDAA’s Female Doctors Group, also at
Parliament House. This meeting is a popular annual forum for female rural doctors to discuss key issues with
various senior politicians and senior political advisors. The main focus of discussion at this year's Female
Doctors Group meeting will be on improving access to affordable aged care in rural and remote areas.
Interviews about RDAA’s breakfast briefing are available with:
Dr Ewen McPhee on 0419 427 520
RDAA CEO, Peta Rutherford, on 0427 638 374
Interviews about the Female Doctors Group meeting are available with the group’s Chair,
Dr Miriam Grotowski, and with Peta Rutherford.
Both the breakfast briefing and Female Doctors Group meeting are closed to media,
however interviews are available in advance of and following each event.
Alternative media contacts:
Patrick Daley on 0408 004 890
Ineke Kuiper on 0408 669 638 (Thursday and Friday)
RDAA National Office on 02 6239 7730