Country residents across South Australia are now seeing better access to medical care, as more specialist doctors begin regular visits—and in many cases, virtual consultations—in regional hospitals and clinics.
It follows the Malinauskas Government’s pledge to recruit more health professionals for the bush. The goal was to bring in 100 extra doctors over four years. That number has been well and truly passed, with more than 640 recruited since the Government took office—317 of them just in the past year.
Part of that effort includes 10 full-time-equivalent specialists now based across all six regional Local Health Networks, providing services in psychiatry, cardiology, cancer care, paediatrics, respiratory medicine and palliative care. Some are physically on site; others are running virtual clinics and advising local GPs remotely.
Health Minister Chris Picton called it a practical move that’s already paying off. “Regional communities are now benefiting from the hard work done to get these specialist roles in place,” he said. “It means more people can get the care they need closer to home, without long trips to Adelaide.”
The plan was backed by consultation. The Government took advice from a Rural Workforce ‘Think Tank’ in 2022, bringing together around 150 clinicians and decision-makers from across the state to work out where specialists were needed most.
That process helped identify the biggest pressure points in the system. For instance, psychiatrists have now been placed in Victor Harbor and Port Pirie, helping ease long waits for mental health care. In the Eyre Peninsula, more paediatricians are now seeing children in Port Lincoln and nearby towns.
Cardiology has also received attention. Four part-time cardiologists—three of them funded under the Government’s election commitment—have joined the team. They’re working with the state’s virtual heart clinic iCCnet, supporting rapid-access consultations, telehealth appointments, and giving advice to rural doctors dealing with chest pain, arrhythmia or heart failure.
There’s also been movement in cancer services. New clinics have opened in Gawler, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie and the Riverland, with oncologists now available to support cancer patients without the need for city travel.
End-of-life care has seen improvements too. In the Riverland Mallee Coorong region, as well as the Yorke and Eyre Peninsula networks, extra palliative care consultants have expanded support for patients and their families. Dr Caroline Phegan, who leads medical services in the Riverland, said the funding has also helped train local rural GPs in palliative care as a specialty skill. “It’s embedding these services in the community,” she said.
The benefits extend beyond the clinic. Many specialists are helping to train local medical staff and build the region’s capacity for clinical trials. For example, new respiratory physicians, orthopaedic surgeons and anaesthetists have started supporting hospitals and health centres not just with patient care, but also by mentoring younger clinicians and advising on service planning.
Debbie Martin from the Rural Support Service says the success comes down to collaboration. “We worked closely with senior medical leads across all six regional networks to figure out exactly where the need was—and how to use the extra funding in the smartest way.”
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