As revealed in the federal budget for 2018-19, released on Tuesday evening, the Riverina will be a part of the government’s new ‘Murray-Darling medical schools network’.

Though the government has not committed to spending a substantial amount in the next financial year, Wagga will be sharing in $95.4 million of funding to create teaching sites in NSW and Victoria.

The network will comprise of new rural medical schools within the University of NSW at Wagga, Charles Sturt University in partnership with Western Sydney University at Orange, Monash University at Bendigo, University of Melbourne and La Trobe University at Shepparton and University of Sydney at Dubbo.

Riverina MP and deputy prime minister Michael McCormack described the initiative as a once-in-a-generation boost to health care and a “wonderful, wonderful breakthrough”.

“I fought hard for eight years to achieve this, and I have to say, I'm just so, so proud and honoured that it has happened,” he said.

“Research shows if we train – from start to finish – more doctors in the bush we can attract more people who will want to make the regions their home. 

“We're looking at getting more doctors where they are most needed.”

The Department of Health plans to have the first new rural medical schools up and running by 2021.

No new Commonwealth supported tertiary places will be created and the new schools will “focus on distribution and creating end-to- end training for students”.

Fairfax Media understands the federal Department of Health will allocate 2 per cent of total Commonwealth-supported medical university places, representing about 30 students per year, to a pool of funded places to be shared among the five sites.

The final student numbers and funding level will be determined by the outcome of ongoing contractual negotiations between eh government and the universities.

The budget also contained plans to expand the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training program to include Curtin University and La Trobe University, providing further opportunities for medical students in rural areas.

The new medical schools were a major part of the government’s ‘Stronger Rural Health Strategy’, as revealed in the budget.

The strategy aims to “improve health access and services for people living in regional, rural and remote Australia” with “key initiatives are aimed at addressing health workforce shortages in the regions through a renewed focus on teaching, training, recruitment and retention”.

The strategy will establish the ‘More Doctors for Rural Australia Program’, designed to “enable Australian trained doctors to undertake practice in rural and remote areas”.

A ‘Workforce Incentive Program’ will “encourage a range of health professionals, including nurses and allied health professionals to deliver services in rural and remote areas that have experienced difficulty in attracting and retaining them in the past”.

The government will also “increase the capacity and flexibility” of existing bonded scholarship programs for doctors committing to return to work in regional, rural and remote areas following their training.

The role of nurses in delivering health care will also be strengthened through training and support for nurses moving into general practice.

The government will also improve the delivery and availability of dental, mental health and emergency aeromedical services in rural and remote areas by providing additional funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

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