More rural doctors can access training to help close the gap

MORE training opportunities for rural doctors will seek to improve health services available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people as part of a new program.

On National Close the Gap Day in March, the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) said the rollout of a National Rural Generalist Pathway would provide an opportunity for more rural doctors to undertake specialised training in ATSI Health, and to further improve the quality of care provided to ATSI people.

RDAA says doctors with specialised training in ATSI Health should be as highly regarded by governments and health services as those who have trained in obstetrics, anesthetics and emergency medicine.

Rural Generalist doctors with specialised training would be a critical element of local health teams, improving the co-ordination of care and services in collaboration with Aboriginal Health Workers, community based nurses and allied health professionals.

RDAA president Doctor Adam Coltzau said that the National Close the Gap Day (NCGD) was vital in recognising where improvements have occurred and what needs to be done.

“National Close the Gap Day is a crucial annual day where we consider what has been achieved in terms of health and other outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — and importantly, how much more we need to do,” he said.

“There is still so much to be done before Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the same health and other outcomes as the rest of the Australian population.

“Given there is a significant Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population in many rural and remote communities, doctors with specialised training in ATSI Health play a critically important role as part of the wider ATSI healthcare team in providing care in these communities.”

Dr Coltzau said an additional year of specialised training in ATSI Health on top of their GP training makes the doctors highly trained in caring for indigenous patients.

“There is still a mindset within governments, and some elements of the health system, that these doctors have not achieved the same level of specialised skills as doctors with, for example, obstetrics, anesthetics or emergency medicine training,” he said.

“There needs to be a change to recognise doctors who’ve undertaken specialised training should be as respected and supported by the system as their procedural colleagues.

“The roll-out of a National Rural Generalist Pathway has real potential to make this a reality-it will deliver to the bush the next generation of doctors with the advanced skills needed by rural communities, from non-procedural disciplines like ATSI Health, Mental Health, Paediatrics and Internal Medicine; through to procedural disciplines like Obstetrics, Anaesthetics, Surgery and Emergency Medicine.”

Dr Coltzau said it is important to encourage more rural generalist doctors to undertake this specialised training in ATSI Health and help close the gap.

“These doctors will play a key role alongside the highly-valued cohort of Indigenous doctors and other health professionals working in ATSI Health, in achieving this critical outcome.”