Rural Health Commissioner releases Interim Report into improving regional healthcare

National Rural Health Commissioner, Professor Paul Worley, had produced an Interim Report detailing his findings to date, as he continues to develop recommendations aimed at improving quality, access and distribution of the regional health workforce.

Since December 2018, Professor Worley has consulted a range of individuals and groups to develop an understanding of the contributors and challenges affecting equity of the provision of allied health services for rural and remote Australians.

A detailed review of rural allied health literature published in the past two decades has also been produced, to provide an evidence base to develop Professor’s Worley’s final recommendations.

The Interim Report describes four key strategic themes identified through the consultations and evidence, which will set the parameters for the recommendations in the final report.

The themes are:

• National Leadership – establishing a National Chief Allied Health Officer

• Improving access – Sustainable, Connected and Supported Rural Allied Health Services

• Improving quality – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Allied Health Practitioners and Culturally Safe and Responsive Services

• Improving distribution – Regional, Rural and Remote Holistic ‘Grow Your Own’ Health Training System.

Professor Worley was a guest speaker at a dinner hosted by the MPHN Board in Griffith in May 2019, where he spoke about some of the challenges involved in meeting rural health needs.

The final Rural Allied Health Report will be presented to the Minister for Regional Health in June 2020.

To read Professor Worley’s Interim Report, go to: https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/National-Rural-Health-Commissioner