GP financial incentive scheme welcomed by SA's Rural Doctors' Association

The federal government will provide incentives which could total $21,000, through its Rural Advanced Skills funding streams within the Workforce Incentives Program.

Rural Doctors' Association of SA president and Tanunda GP Bill Geyer believed recognition for additional training of GPs, was a main message out of the program.

"Finally, there is recognition we need to train up general practitioners to provide specialist services when specialists, are simply not available in country areas," Dr Geyer said.

"This has been the case for a long time, it has been difficult to get anaesthetists, obstetricians and emergency medicine physicians into country areas, so hopefully this program will improve it," he said.

Dr Geyer believed it was a loss for rural communities that many GPs were not already trained in providing anaesthetic and obstetric services, as well as emergency, palliative and First Nations healthcare.

"These areas are recognised in this program, which is fantastic, and it will go a long way to improving health outcomes for rural people," he said.

But, Dr Geyer did have initial concerns about retraining GPs with a specialist skillset in rural areas.

"We need to guard against losing the general practice side of rural GPs. What we do not want to happen is to train up GPs in specialist areas and they only work in hospitals and not provide any general practice care as well," he said.

"But, this program has conditions and is designed to incentivise GPs to continue to work in general practice as well."

Between $4000 and $10,500 per year is available to doctors providing these advanced skills services, with a separate payment of $4000 to $10,500 per year also available to eligible doctors providing emergency care.

"Getting about $10,000 for doing a lot of work in a remote area is not a kings ransom but it will be a nice incentive and go some way to rewarding GPs but it is not a fortune," Dr Geyer said.

"As long as it is indexed, so in 10 years, if the program is still going, that money is not worth bugger all."

National Rural Health Alliance chief executive officer Susi Tegen welcomed the program and said the program was one necessary component to address the support needed by rural generalist doctors.

"They need help to gain the advanced skills which are desperately needed to work in rural and remote communities," Ms Tegen said.

"Incentive payments have been around for a while but this particular program will allow about 2500 doctors within each stream to be eligible for this payment."

With the program recognising those already on the ground, Ms Tegen believed it could help retain GPs in rural areas which might have looked elsewhere to upskill.

"If they do not have upskilling incentives available or GPs do not get the time to do the courses, it is basically saying to rural doctors, you are not important," she said.

"We want to make sure that those who are eligible, access the incentives and those who wish to upskill, are also supported to do this."

But, according to Ms Tegen, rural communities were still lacking healthcare support and the incentive program cannot be the only solution.

"It is only one component of a bigger problem. It will not recruit more doctors but it will support those already on the ground. We need to make sure there is more of this," she said.

"It will help ensure doctors in rural areas are retained. It is about supporting them now rather than having to convince GPs to move to the regions."

The payments became available on January 1, 2024, and will be accessible until March 31 in 2026. The incentive will recognise services delivered during 2023, 2024 and 2025.