Health Outreach Services

Medical specialist and multidisciplinary outreach programs improve the access of rural and remote communities to a range of health services.

The benefits of health outreach to rural and remote New South Wales include:

Provision of specialist clinics to rural communities,
Less disruption to the lives of rural people, and
Upskilling of the local health workforce.

Medical outreach also provides urban-based specialists with the opportunity to experience life in a rural community (and in some cases this has resulted in specialists relocating permanently to rural locations).

The Australian Government established the first health outreach program - the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP) - in Australia in 2000, with services operational in NSW from 2002. Now MSOAP and subsequent associated programs provide services to fill gaps in rural health care and complement local and outreach specialist services already provided by State and Territory health authorities.

In NSW, both the NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and NSW Government Department of Health are contracted by the Australian Government to manage specialist outreach programs on its behalf.

RDN now administers over 170 separate outreach services, with substantial growth expected in the coming years. Since 2007 the focus of specialist outreach has increasingly been to improve Aboriginal health while emphasising the support and upskilling of local health care providers. The program also promotes an awareness of the needs of rural communities by supporting travel for students and registrars.

Local organisations, including Aboriginal Medical Services and Divisions/Networks of General Practice, are funded by RDN to ensure effective local management that remains responsive to changing community needs.

There are currently four separate health outreach programs:

Allied Health Professionals Needed for Outreach in New South Wales

The NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) is seeking allied health professionals based in urban, regional and rural areas to participate in multidisciplinary outreach services to Aboriginal communities. These outreach positions are supported by the Australian Government's Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP) - Indigenous Chronic Disease measure.

For more information to register your interest, please go to the Expression of Interest Form