Regional Services
RWAV has three Area Managers and an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health
Services (ACCHSs) Area Manager who facilitate the delivery of all RWAV programs
and services to rural doctors, communities and ACCHSs. In addition, they
provide a rural presence and point of contact for local people.
Workforce Policy & Planning
RWAV is responsible for the development and maintenance of the Victorian Rural
GP Workforce Plan, which is designed to consider the supply of, and demand for,
rural GPs in Victoria over the next ten years and to recommend strategic
initiatives to promote the attraction, recruitment and ongoing support of GPs in
rural Victoria. This plan also contributes to a National Workforce Plan.
Each year, RWAV conducts a major survey of rural GPs and practices, which
contributes to a national GP Workforce Dataset.
Recruitment
RWAV addresses the shortage of doctors in rural Victoria through a range of
programs, including:
- Rural Locum Relief Program (RLRP)
- Victorian Overseas Trained Doctors Rural Recruitment Scheme (VORRS)
- Strengthening Medicare
RWAV assists with the recruitment of medical students, Registrars, female GPs,
Overseas Trained Doctors (OTDs) and Australian Trained Doctors (ATDs).
Support Services
Ongoing support, advice and assistance is provided by RWAV to all doctors who
work in rural general practice. Ongoing support includes:
- Orientation in practice
- Sustainable practice
- Community Development
- Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP)
- Locum subsidies
- Locum support
- Family and Personal Assistance
- Grants
- Mentoring
Medical Education & Training
RWAV provides education and training support by providing subsidies to
individual GPs and rural divisions to deliver training and education, including
the administration of the Department of Human Services Continuing Professional
Development for Rural General Practitioners Subsidy Program. RWAV also
offers:
- Rural Examination Preparation Program (REPP)
- Continuing Professional Development including: Orientation, Rural Emergency
Skills Training (REST), Women's Health and Cross Cultural Training
- RWAV's annual conference
- Extended and Advanced Training Opportunities Service
- Support for Rural Training Providers (RTPs)
- Clinical skills training for medical students
Partnership
RWAV has developed a Memorandum of Understanding with rural General Practice
Divisions and General Practice Victoria (GPV).
RWAV is a member of the Australian Rural Health Workforce Australia (RHWA) and
works in collaboration with:
- Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)
- Rural Doctors Association of Victoria (RDAV)
- Victorian Hospitals Association (VHA)
- Victorian Universities Rural Health Consortuim (VURHC)
- University rural departments of health
- Government bodies
- Colleges of General Practice
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
- General Practice Education Australia Ltd (GPEA); and
- Other academic bodies