'Catastrophe': 1000 rural doctor training jobs in limbo as review languishes

The Advertiser

28-05-2025

Hundreds of specialist doctor training positions in rural hospitals, nursing homes and clinics are in limbo while a funding review sits with the health department.
The specialist training program (STP) funds the salaries and some expenses of more than 1000 trainee doctors around Australia to get supervised experience outside the big city hospitals.
But in April the federal health department wrote to the 13 medical colleges administering the program to say it could not guarantee anything beyond 2025.
"We acknowledge the timing of the decision may put pressure on colleges to be able to recruit and fill future posts, pending confirmation of future funding arrangements," the department wrote in a message seen by ACM, the publisher of this masthead.
"However, at this stage we are unable to provide any information about next steps for the STP post December 2025."
The Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, which has cancer treatment clinics in Nowra, Orange, Port Macquarie and Tamworth, said the delay was catastrophic for regional communities.
"This is a catastrophe," Professor Carsten Palme, the organisation's director of head and neck surgery, said.
"This has massive ramifications.
"These [specialist training program] positions fund the employment of these people," he said.
"We expose them to regional Australia."
Professor Palme said as waiting lists for ear, nose and throat surgery grew, the government wasn't providing even an indication of the future of the program.
"To train [ear, nose and throat] surgeons you've got to have actual positions," he said.
ACM understands an evaluation of the specialist training program was completed in November 2024 and this now sits with the department.
The program funds 920 training places and 100 posts for trainee specialists to get at least two thirds of their practical experience in rural Australia, as well as a dedicated specialist scheme in Tasmania.
An Australian Medical Association (AMA) report released in April 2025 identified financial incentives to recruit and retain medicos in the bush as a top priority for rural doctors.
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons said it met with the federal health department last week and was assured the program's future "is not uncertain".
"We ... welcome details about changes to the funding to align with the program's purpose, which is to address the maldistribution of the medical workforce," college chief executive Stephanie Clota said.
The scheme was "critical" for the surgeons' college which ran 64 full time equivalent rural training posts through it in 2025.
"To avoid disrupting services in 2026, if there is a change in funding, we have requested that transitional arrangements be factored in," she said.
The federal health department confirmed the program was under review but said any decision about its future was up to the government.
"The STP is undergoing a period of reform and review, informed by an independent evaluation of the program undertaken in 2024-2025," a spokesman said.
"Any decision on future arrangements for the STP, and whether the final evaluation report will be published, are subject to a decision of the government."
The scheme funds about seven per cent of non-GP specialist trainees across Australia, while the states and territories take care of the remainder.
"Non-GP specialist colleges will be advised once a determination on the future of the program has been made by government," he said.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Mark Butler said the minister's office was yet to receive a copy of the review.
*This story has been updated following new information received from Health Minister Mark Butler's office that the program evaluation had not yet been received by his office.
Hundreds of specialist doctor training positions in rural hospitals, nursing homes and clinics are in limbo while a funding review sits with the health department.
The specialist training program (STP) funds the salaries and some expenses of more than 1000 trainee doctors around Australia to get supervised experience outside the big city hospitals.
But in April the federal health department wrote to the 13 medical colleges administering the program to say it could not guarantee anything beyond 2025.
"We acknowledge the timing of the decision may put pressure on colleges to be able to recruit and fill future posts, pending confirmation of future funding arrangements," the department wrote in a message seen by ACM, the publisher of this masthead.
"However, at this stage we are unable to provide any information about next steps for the STP post December 2025."
The Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, which has cancer treatment clinics in Nowra, Orange, Port Macquarie and Tamworth, said the delay was catastrophic for regional communities.
"This is a catastrophe," Professor Carsten Palme, the organisation's director of head and neck surgery, said.
"This has massive ramifications.
"These [specialist training program] positions fund the employment of these people," he said.
"We expose them to regional Australia."
Professor Palme said as waiting lists for ear, nose and throat surgery grew, the government wasn't providing even an indication of the future of the program.
"To train [ear, nose and throat] surgeons you've got to have actual positions," he said.
ACM understands an evaluation of the specialist training program was completed in November 2024 and this now sits with the department.
The program funds 920 training places and 100 posts for trainee specialists to get at least two thirds of their practical experience in rural Australia, as well as a dedicated specialist scheme in Tasmania.
An Australian Medical Association (AMA) report released in April 2025 identified financial incentives to recruit and retain medicos in the bush as a top priority for rural doctors.
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons said it met with the federal health department last week and was assured the program's future "is not uncertain".
"We ... welcome details about changes to the funding to align with the program's purpose, which is to address the maldistribution of the medical workforce," college chief executive Stephanie Clota said.
The scheme was "critical" for the surgeons' college which ran 64 full time equivalent rural training posts through it in 2025.
"To avoid disrupting services in 2026, if there is a change in funding, we have requested that transitional arrangements be factored in," she said.
The federal health department confirmed the program was under review but said any decision about its future was up to the government.
"The STP is undergoing a period of reform and review, informed by an independent evaluation of the program undertaken in 2024-2025," a spokesman said.
"Any decision on future arrangements for the STP, and whether the final evaluation report will be published, are subject to a decision of the government."
The scheme funds about seven per cent of non-GP specialist trainees across Australia, while the states and territories take care of the remainder.
"Non-GP specialist colleges will be advised once a determination on the future of the program has been made by government," he said.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Mark Butler said the minister's office was yet to receive a copy of the review.
*This story has been updated following new information received from Health Minister Mark Butler's office that the program evaluation had not yet been received by his office.
Hundreds of specialist doctor training positions in rural hospitals, nursing homes and clinics are in limbo while a funding review sits with the health department.
The specialist training program (STP) funds the salaries and some expenses of more than 1000 trainee doctors around Australia to get supervised experience outside the big city hospitals.
But in April the federal health department wrote to the 13 medical colleges administering the program to say it could not guarantee anything beyond 2025.
"We acknowledge the timing of the decision may put pressure on colleges to be able to recruit and fill future posts, pending confirmation of future funding arrangements," the department wrote in a message seen by ACM, the publisher of this masthead.
"However, at this stage we are unable to provide any information about next steps for the STP post December 2025."
The Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, which has cancer treatment clinics in Nowra, Orange, Port Macquarie and Tamworth, said the delay was catastrophic for regional communities.
"This is a catastrophe," Professor Carsten Palme, the organisation's director of head and neck surgery, said.
"This has massive ramifications.
"These [specialist training program] positions fund the employment of these people," he said.
"We expose them to regional Australia."
Professor Palme said as waiting lists for ear, nose and throat surgery grew, the government wasn't providing even an indication of the future of the program.
"To train [ear, nose and throat] surgeons you've got to have actual positions," he said.
ACM understands an evaluation of the specialist training program was completed in November 2024 and this now sits with the department.
The program funds 920 training places and 100 posts for trainee specialists to get at least two thirds of their practical experience in rural Australia, as well as a dedicated specialist scheme in Tasmania.
An Australian Medical Association (AMA) report released in April 2025 identified financial incentives to recruit and retain medicos in the bush as a top priority for rural doctors.
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons said it met with the federal health department last week and was assured the program's future "is not uncertain".
"We ... welcome details about changes to the funding to align with the program's purpose, which is to address the maldistribution of the medical workforce," college chief executive Stephanie Clota said.
The scheme was "critical" for the surgeons' college which ran 64 full time equivalent rural training posts through it in 2025.
"To avoid disrupting services in 2026, if there is a change in funding, we have requested that transitional arrangements be factored in," she said.
The federal health department confirmed the program was under review but said any decision about its future was up to the government.
"The STP is undergoing a period of reform and review, informed by an independent evaluation of the program undertaken in 2024-2025," a spokesman said.
"Any decision on future arrangements for the STP, and whether the final evaluation report will be published, are subject to a decision of the government."
The scheme funds about seven per cent of non-GP specialist trainees across Australia, while the states and territories take care of the remainder.
"Non-GP specialist colleges will be advised once a determination on the future of the program has been made by government," he said.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Mark Butler said the minister's office was yet to receive a copy of the review.
*This story has been updated following new information received from Health Minister Mark Butler's office that the program evaluation had not yet been received by his office.
Hundreds of specialist doctor training positions in rural hospitals, nursing homes and clinics are in limbo while a funding review sits with the health department.
The specialist training program (STP) funds the salaries and some expenses of more than 1000 trainee doctors around Australia to get supervised experience outside the big city hospitals.
But in April the federal health department wrote to the 13 medical colleges administering the program to say it could not guarantee anything beyond 2025.
"We acknowledge the timing of the decision may put pressure on colleges to be able to recruit and fill future posts, pending confirmation of future funding arrangements," the department wrote in a message seen by ACM, the publisher of this masthead.
"However, at this stage we are unable to provide any information about next steps for the STP post December 2025."
The Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, which has cancer treatment clinics in Nowra, Orange, Port Macquarie and Tamworth, said the delay was catastrophic for regional communities.
"This is a catastrophe," Professor Carsten Palme, the organisation's director of head and neck surgery, said.
"This has massive ramifications.
"These [specialist training program] positions fund the employment of these people," he said.
"We expose them to regional Australia."
Professor Palme said as waiting lists for ear, nose and throat surgery grew, the government wasn't providing even an indication of the future of the program.
"To train [ear, nose and throat] surgeons you've got to have actual positions," he said.
ACM understands an evaluation of the specialist training program was completed in November 2024 and this now sits with the department.
The program funds 920 training places and 100 posts for trainee specialists to get at least two thirds of their practical experience in rural Australia, as well as a dedicated specialist scheme in Tasmania.
An Australian Medical Association (AMA) report released in April 2025 identified financial incentives to recruit and retain medicos in the bush as a top priority for rural doctors.
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons said it met with the federal health department last week and was assured the program's future "is not uncertain".
"We ... welcome details about changes to the funding to align with the program's purpose, which is to address the maldistribution of the medical workforce," college chief executive Stephanie Clota said.
The scheme was "critical" for the surgeons' college which ran 64 full time equivalent rural training posts through it in 2025.
"To avoid disrupting services in 2026, if there is a change in funding, we have requested that transitional arrangements be factored in," she said.
The federal health department confirmed the program was under review but said any decision about its future was up to the government.
"The STP is undergoing a period of reform and review, informed by an independent evaluation of the program undertaken in 2024-2025," a spokesman said.
"Any decision on future arrangements for the STP, and whether the final evaluation report will be published, are subject to a decision of the government."
The scheme funds about seven per cent of non-GP specialist trainees across Australia, while the states and territories take care of the remainder.
"Non-GP specialist colleges will be advised once a determination on the future of the program has been made by government," he said.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Mark Butler said the minister's office was yet to receive a copy of the review.
*This story has been updated following new information received from Health Minister Mark Butler's office that the program evaluation had not yet been received by his office.