Rural Locum Assistance Program

Overview

The Australian Government has committed over $34.6 million (GST exclusive) in funding to support the delivery of the Rural Locum Assistance Program (RLAP) which is a primary component of the Australian Government’s Health Workforce Program. The RLAP enables eligible health professionals to access continuing professional development or to take leave for recreation purposes. It supports health workforce in rural locations, as well as enhancing the rural and remote health workforce capacity. The RLAP also benefits urban health professionals wishing to experience rural or remote practice by undertaking a locum placement or for GPs to undertake additional training so that they undertake locum work in non-urban Australia. The intended objectives of the RLAP are to:* enhance the ability of specialists (obstetrics and anaesthetics), procedural general practitioners (obstetrics and anaesthetics), nurses, midwives and allied health professionals practising in rural and remote Australia to take leave and undertake continuing professional development (CPD) activities;* attract eligible nurses, midwives and allied health professionals who may otherwise leave, travel or retire, to stay in the health workforce as locums;* enhance the ability of metropolitan-based general practitioners to develop professional competencies in Emergency Medicine through established CPD programs, so that they are better prepared to undertake rural locum work.