Rural doctors' contracts announced
The resolution of the rural doctors’ contracts announced on 24 January 2022 is a lifeline for regional patients and communities.
AMA(SA) and our Rural Doctors’ Association of SA colleagues – led by RDASA President Dr Peter Rischbieth (left above) and our Vice President Dr John Williams – have been negotiating with SA Health’s Rural Support Service for more than 18 months to develop an acceptable suite of conditions that recognise the work of rural GP VMOs in supporting their regions’ services now and will help attract and retain doctors in the future. We are pleased that an agreement has been reached, so that doctors can expect to begin discussions about their individual circumstances in the next few weeks.
The media release (below) explains more about the agreement and its significance in securing health services in regional communities.
These negotiations and their resolution have highlighted of the importance of AMA(SA) advocacy in working with and for our members and patients to bring about much-needed change. It is difficult sometimes to explain all that we do for our colleagues and patients. Much of our advocacy occurs in phone calls and emails that don’t make it into the public arena. This agreement demonstrates what we do and can achieve – which, in turn, shines a light on the value of AMA membership.
