A pilot model for employment for rural generalist trainees, announced by the federal government, will be trialled in the Wagga-headquartered Murrumbidgee Local Health District.

Trainee rural generalist doctors in the Murrumbidgee region can now work in private practices and local hospitals under a new and innovative employment model that will provide a greater range of care for local patients.

The scheme was officially launched in Gundagai on Friday by federal Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton.

The MLHD and University of NSW, which operates the Rural Medical School in Wagga, had jointly designed a training program which they hoped would help to provide a medium-term solution to the rural doctor shortage. But the main barrier to its implementation was red tape caused by discrepancies between federal and state health employment policies.

Former president of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia Paul Mara, a Gundagai-based GP, had been one of the long-time supporters of the pilot model, and the organisation had been pushing for change.

Current RDAA president John Hall said that if the program was successful, it would be a "massive win for the bush".

"Our junior doctor members have been actively pushing for an employment arrangement like this," Dr Hall said.

"Currently, junior doctors are employed by the state hospital system while they are undertaking their early training years, and they receive all the usual benefits you get working as an employee.

"Sick leave; holiday pay; workers compensation; and maternity leave: all these entitlements, and the accrual of them, are available to them as hospital staff.

"But once they finish this part of their training they are faced with a difficult choice.

"If they want to become a general practitioner or rural generalist, they need to leave the hospital and become essentially self-employed, working out of a private general practice within the community, even though they are still required to train and be supervised, losing their accrued benefits.

"However if they train in another specialty, which are largely hospital based, they can keep the benefits, and continue to build on them, during their training years.

"This has been a huge barrier in enticing junior doctors to choose GP or RG as a career option.

"But under the single employer model, the MLHD will remain as the employer of RG trainees in that district, meaning that junior doctors finishing their time as a hospital trainee will be able to keep their employee benefits and entitlements should they choose to undertake RG training.

"This model would provide a significant incentive for young doctors to choose RG as a career, with this employment advantage available to them, but not in other GP training pathways.

"Rural generalist doctors are trained in general practice combined with other advanced skills in areas needed by rural communities."

Member for Wagga, Joe McGirr, a doctor and former medical administrator, said the announcement of the training program trial was a win for both the electorate and the state.

"Rural generalist graduates will now be able to complete their specialty training as employees of the LHD," he said.

Rural communities from across the Murrumbidgee have been campaigning for months for more doctors in the region's smaller hospitals.

In October, they brought their concerns to a rally in Wagga, calling for change.