What we do
Doing what we do matters
Some alarming statistics
- The mortality rates for rural and remote people are 1.8 times what they are in the city.
- People living in rural and remote areas also have higher instances of disease as well as injury.
- 3 out of 5 rural people do not see a specialist when they need to. Mostly, because there isn’t one close by.
- 3 out of 5 rural people do not see a specialist when they need to,. Mostly, because there isn’t one close by.
- 80% of our health practitioners in our remote communities are travelling over 300 kilometres to receive healthcare.
- The disease burden due to suicide and self-inflicted injuries in remote areas is 2.2 times that of cities.
Our work
We are making a lasting impact on rural Australians and the health workers who care for them.
Rural Doctors Foundation offers a range of programs and initiatives aimed at improving health in our rural communities.
We support rural healthcare workers by providing independent, confidential care, which is essential for maintaining their mental and physical health and ensuring continued high-quality services in rural communities.
Our GPs4RuralDocs program offers confidential and independent healthcare through face-to-face consultations and telehealth, helping practitioners stay healthy and able to continue serving their communities.
We also provide emergency relief during natural disasters, ensuring rural healthcare practitioners can continue delivering care, with support to rebuild post-disaster. We also provide communities and health practitioners with essential medical equipment and supplies. We distribute funding to deliver health and wellness programs, to enable innovative ideas to be implemented within rural communities.
We conduct health research to ensure our programs are tailored to meet the needs of rural areas. We also offer a library of health articles, to keep people in rural areas informed of key medical conditions and health issues.
The situation in rural health care is tough
If you have spent any time in rural medicine, or lived in a remote community, you will appreciate that life is different. While it’s a great life, it can be tough.
Rural communities are isolated and separated by vast distances. They work hard and are responsible for feeding us and keeping us healthy.
They contribute over 67% of the value of Australia exports – nearly $400 billion.
So, what’s happening in rural and remote locations really matters to us all.
Distance, isolation, and lack of access to services are part of rural health. And as a result of this, lives are at risk every day. By working together, we can fill the gaps that exist in healthcare for rural and remote communities.
