Rural Doctors Association Australia

29/04/2026

Rural Doctors Association of Victoria - RDAV are hosting the Victorian Rural Health Conference 2026, 15-17 May 2026 in Melbourne.

Wonderful line up of plenary speakers with the National Rural Health Commissioner Prof Jenny May, Prof Alan Pearce an expert in concussion & repetitive brain injury and Dr Simon Quilty Wilya Janta project, great choice in the concurrent sessions between clinical updates & policy issues, fun social events & good line up of pre-conference workshops. More information & registration available here https://bit.ly/VRHC26

24/04/2026

On ANZAC Day, we remember the tremendous sacrifice that so many men and women from Australia, New Zealand and other nations made in fighting to preserve the freedoms, democracy and way of life we all enjoy today.

We also remember the enormous impact that their time away in service had on their families at home, and the devastation that many of these families faced when told their loved ones had given their lives on the battlefield and would not be coming home.

We also recognise and remember the immense personal challenges faced by many of those who did return home from our numerous theatres of conflict but were forever shaped - either physically, psychologically or (in many cases) both - by what they had seen and experienced while away at war.

Lest we forget. 🌺



📸 Caroline Attwood on Unsplash

23/04/2026

Immunisation has:

✅ saved more than 150 million lives worldwide over 50 years

✅ improved infant survival by 40%

✅ protected tens of millions of children from over 30 life-threatening diseases and infections (and for some of those diseases, subsequent lifelong disabilities).

Despite these positive outcomes, however, immunisation rates in Australia continue to fall! 🫣

In the lead-up to World Immunization Week 2026, we are urging rural and remote Australians to not be a:

🎯 denier
🎯 disbeliever
🎯 or even just a dawdler!
..and instead ensure you and your children are up-to-date on your immunisations. They can truly be life-saving! 🤩

Read our media statement:
https://bit.ly/4sSM3EG

World Health Organization (WHO) Australian Centre for Disease Control Immunisation Coalition Emma McBride MP Mark Butler MP

📸 CDC (on Unsplash)

21/04/2026

“Just like a leaking roof, the longer you leave it, the more expensive it becomes to fix."

And this situation DOES need fixing!

Albury-Wodonga and the entire region desperately need a new, single-site greenfields hospital to deliver all of the region's public hospital services under the same roof.

At the moment, services are split between one hospital campus in Albury and the other in Wodonga, with patients and health staff often having to travel multiple times a day to get from one health service to the next... and back again! 🚗🚌🚑

Running services across two sites also comes at a significant cost to the taxpayer, when you consider facility management and maintenance costs... and more.

Funding provided by the Federal, NSW and Victorian governments to extend the existing Albury Base Hospital is just not enough to make it the single-site hospital that the region needs - either now or into the future - and it only threatens to turn the hospital into a long-term construction site, badly impacting the delivery of health services there.

A renovator's dream? We don't think so! 😬

The only feasible (and most cost-effective) way forward is for the Federal, NSW and Victorian governments to fund a new, single-site hospital for Albury-Wodonga and its surrounding region in a greenfields location - ensuring an optimal build time, avoiding space restrictions that might otherwise impede a truly 'fit for purpose' design, and setting up hospital care in the region for this century and beyond.

Now is the time! 🤩

Read our media statement:
https://bit.ly/41OXu55

Rural Doctors Association of Victoria - RDAV Rural Doctors' Association of NSW Helen Haines MP Better Border Health - Standing Up for Albury-Wodonga BBH - New Hospital, New Site, Better Oversight Wodonga Wodonga Council AlburyCity Albury City Council

21/04/2026

Happening tonight! 🤩

Our online round table series facilitates open conversations and shared insights around critical developments that impact your practice.

This 90-minute session will cover:

· Experiences, observations, and emerging medico-legal trends

· Key Ahpra updates

· Case-based scenarios for practical application

7.30pm AEST | 7.00pm ACST | 5.30pm AWST

Register now at: https://learn.mdanational.com.au/blocks/vslate_catalogue/view.php/course/228

15/04/2026

We welcome the Federal Government's continuing investment in GP and Rural Generalist (RG) training through the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and RACGP - with 100 additional places in 2027 announced today by Federal Health Minister Mark Butler MP. This takes total GP training places in Australia to more than 2000 annually.

With demand from early-career doctors for Rural Generalist training at an all-time high, however, we urgently need an additional 200 training places allocated specifically for RG training.

These extra places would give RG training the boost it needs in meeting growing demand, and would help deliver a very efficient, versatile and cost-effective medical workforce for rural and remote communities across Australia - one that features multi-skilled RGs who work not only in general practices and other primary care settings, but also in local hospitals (emergency departments and inpatients), aged care facilities and more, while also bringing a range of advanced skills to their communities.

The forthcoming Federal Budget gives the Government a timely opportunity to invest in those 200 'earmarked' RG training places, and build on the great work it has already been doing in the development of a Rural Generalist workforce for Australia.

Read our media release:
https://bit.ly/3OGzcqT

Emma McBride MP

RDAA has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement of an additional 100 GP training places in 2027 – including for rural GP and Rural Generalist (RG) trainees – bringing to over 2000 the total number of GP and RG training places available annually in Australia. In the lead-up to the Feder...

14/04/2026

No time to waste! RACGP applications for AGPT 2027 intake close today. Apply here https://www.racgp.org.au/education/gp-training/explore-a-gp-career/australian-general-practice-training

The Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program is a Commonwealth funded program offering urban and rural training opportunities

11/04/2026

The Victorian Rural Health Conference 2026 is just 5 weeks away - so it's time to get organised & register! https://bit.ly/VRHC26

will be quickly followed by the Tassie Rural Health Conference 31 May - 1 June 2026, RDAQ conference (always a banger) 25-27 June 2026 & RDASA Masterclass 1 & 2 August 2026 - get all the details here https://bit.ly/RDAEvents

02/04/2026

⚠️ Hitting the road for the Easter weekend or school hols?

PLEASE do everything you can to stay safe on our rural roads - take regular rest breaks, don't speed, drive to the conditions, don’t get distracted by your phone (or the kids!), don't drink or drug drive, and PLEASE BE PATIENT in slow or heavy traffic - because we don’t want to see you or your loved ones brought to our rural hospitals in a critical condition when you should instead be enjoying time with friends and family at your destination.

Also, if you are driving a slower vehicle or just want to take it easy (we get it!), please give faster vehicles the opportunity to get past you on overtaking lanes, or if you have a line of traffic behind you, consider pulling off the road in a safe spot to let them past.

And finally, if you’re one of our awesome doctors, nurses or other health professionals staffing rural hospitals or other health services this weekend - THANKYOU! You’re awesome. 🤩

📸 Tarryn Grignet on Unsplash

25/03/2026

📣 ATTENTION - JUNIOR / PREVOCATIONAL DOCTORS! 🤩

This is your friendly reminder to get your application in for our popular MDA National and RDAA bursaries for 2026!

The bursaries provide up to 5 junior / prevoc docs with $1500 each to assist them in attending one of our awesome state RDA conferences, the super awesome Rural Medicine Australia - RMA conference (in Adelaide this October), or another rural medical course or event.

🎉 GREAT NEWS - we have streamlined the application process and brought it online, so it's quick and easy to apply!

⚠️ Applications close at midnight next Tuesday, 31 March.

Thanks as always to MDA National for their incredible support as RDAA's Platinum Partner and, through that, their support of rural doctors and rural communities everywhere.

Click below (or scan the QR code) for more info and to apply:
https://bit.ly/3MXzyZq

Australian Medical Association Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) RACGP National Rural Health Student Network Australian Medical Students' Association - AMSA General Practice Registrars Australia

25/03/2026

RDAA President, Dr Sarah Chalmers, featured in a story on ABC Radio's "AM" program yesterday regarding the impact of the fuel crisis on rural and remote patients and their ability to access the healthcare they need.

Listen here:
https://bit.ly/3NZSAPh

ABC listen