Division Programs

The Rural Primary Health Services (RPHS) Program aims to improve the health of people living in rural areas through allied health care, with linkages between allied health care and general practice. Funding is used to provide clinical care by allied health professionals.

Professionals sub contracted by the Division to provide allied health services include physiotherapists, podiatrists, exercise physiologists, and the Division currently employs a speech pathologist, diabetes educator and dietitians.

Due to limited funding the RPHS program is operated under a criteria which guides the GP in regard to a patient’s eligibility and the number of consultations per year that a patient can access. RPHS services are only available to GP referred patients.

The Barwon Division undertakes an annual needs assessment which consults the division’s GPs, community groups and existing public and private allied health providers to determine what allied health services are required in each Division town.

Patients must have a GP referral to access any of the Division’s RPHS service providers. Please contact your local GP to discuss if you are eligible.

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The Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP) and the Indigenous Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (ISOAP) are Australian Government initiatives designed to improve access to specialist medical services for rural and remote communities, and those with significant Indigenous populations. This is achieved by supporting specialists to travel to rural and remote locations to provide clinical services, and upskill GPs and health workers.

MSOAP is a national program funded by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. In NSW, the program is administered by the NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and NSW Health. ISOAP is funded by the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) NSW Office, and exists in NSW only.

In conjunction with NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and other regional stakeholders, the Barwon Division provides private sector outreach specialist services.

In the Barwon Division area, MSOAP now supports the operation of General Surgery, Nephrology, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Psychiatry. Most services include an element of GP training. ISOAP supports the operation of Gynaecology.

The benefits of MSOAP & ISOAP are two-fold. The provision of specialist clinics to rural and remote NSW communities means increased access to health services, less disruption to the lives of rural people, and increased specialist skills for the rural health workforce. However, MSOAP & ISOAP 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 centres.

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NSW Rural Doctors Network, the Barwon Division of General Practice and the Murrumbidgee Division of General Practice are collaborating to provide the RDN Locum Service for general practices in rural NSW. RDN aims to recruit and employ locums and the divisional officer will arrange placement of locums with participating practices.

The RDN Locum Service provides locums on a priority basis to practices with RRMA classification in the range 7-3. GP practices must register an expression of interest through the NSW RDN website www.nswrdn.com.au in order to participate in the service.

The Divisions that are covered by Co-ordinator, Kate Perrett, are:
Barwon, Dubbo Plains, Hastings Macleay, Hunter Rural, Mid North Coast, New England, North West Slopes, Northern Rivers, Outback and Tweed Valley Divisions.

For further information, or to register your practice for the service, please contact Kate Perrett (Program Manager) at the Barwon Division of General Practice Gunnedah office on 02 6742 3633 or kperrett@barwondgp.org.au .  Kate is the divisional officer for the northern region divisions of general practice and is your local contact for the RDN locum service.

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