For mothers and families in regional, rural, and remote Australia, accessing local birthing services can be stressful. With many rural maternity services in crisisĚýand workforce shortages impacting service delivery on the ground,Ěýexpectant mothers and families are often forced to travel hundreds of kilometres to access essential care. To prevent rural and remote communities from falling further behind, strategies that address both workforce recruitment and retention are urgently needed.

The General Practitioner Procedural Training Support Program (GPPTSP) is one such strategy, designed to strengthen maternity services for women living in these areas. General practitioners (GPs) play a critical role in Australia’s vast regions. In smaller communities, they often provide a broader scope of services than their metropolitan counterparts. However, financial and logistical barriers can make the additional training required to expand scope unattainable for some clinicians.

To gain qualifications such as the °µÍřTV Associate (Advanced Procedural) credential in obstetrics, GPs must take time away from their regular practice, often temporarily relocate, and accept a GP registrar’s reduced income whilst training. For those with mortgages, families, or other financial responsibilities, this pathway is simply not always feasible.

Funded by the Australian Government, GPPTSP provides eligible GPs or rural generalists with grants of up to $40,000 per year for two years to support training in obstetrics or anaesthetics. We spoke to three former participants, Dr Claire Walter, Dr Lillian Barrymore, and Dr Madeleine Brenner to better understand how GPPTSP is helping to build GP obstetric workforce capacity.

In what ways did the GPPTSP grant assist you in undertaking the RANZCOG Associate (Advanced Procedural) (APTP) certification?

Claire: I had a fantastic year of training at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane. The General Practitioner Procedural Training Support Program assisted with relocation from my home in rural Stanthorpe to Brisbane, as well as supporting training and childcare costs, essential to my ability to complete the program.

Lillian: The GPPTSP offered a crucial financial incentive to pursue further training in obstetrics. Without this support, clinicians often face a significant financial burden which can be difficult to manage. To access the RANZCOG Associate (Advanced Procedural) Training Program, I relocated 700 km from home, and the grant was essential in helping cover both the move and the costs associated with completing my training.

Madeleine: Moving from a tertiary hospital with a state-employee salary to working as a GP registrar while also undertaking obstetrics training came with significant financial pressures. I was managing a heavy clinical workload without the guaranteed income I’d previously had in a tertiary setting. Once I became a GP Fellow, the GPPTSP grant made up for this as it allowed me to focus primarily on building my obstetric skills and experience without worrying as much about billing or income.

The funding also meant I could take time away from clinic consulting to attend upskilling opportunities. These days were supernumerary and unpaid, but they were crucial in consolidating my knowledge and gaining the practical experience needed to complete the RANZCOG APTP. In addition, the grant supported my attendance at key workshops, such as the Basic Obstetric Skills Workshop and the OASI course, which were held interstate. Without GPPTSP, accessing this level of training and experience would have been extremely difficult.

In your opinion, how has obtaining the APTP credential impacted workforce shortages and access to maternity services in your community?

Claire: I now have dual training in anaesthetics and obstetrics, which has enabled for more flexibility in our medical roster. I’m able to support multiple areas of care, which is particularly important in a rural setting with a limited workforce. It has also helped future-proof our service as several clinicians approach retirement over the coming years.

I also was fortunate to forge lifelong connections with supervisors, consultants and registrar peers at the Mater who have continued to support me even after completing training and moving home. The relationships I’ve built have strengthened access and I have even called upon Mater consultants for help via the flying obstetric, and gynaecology service. I’m grateful to have expanded my network and can access advice and support when needed which is so important in reducing isolation and retaining the rural workforce.

Lillian: We are experiencing significant workforce shortages in my community which have evolved over the last few years. Five years ago, we had six GP obstetricians (GPOs) on the obstetric roster, but as of 2025 there are only two local GPOs regularly on the obstetric roster with one available for on call assistance – the remainder of the roster is covered by locums.

It wouldn’t have been feasible for me to continue working in obstetrics with only basic Associate Procedural skills, given the limited number of colleagues able to provide surgical support. Completing Associate (Advanced Procedural) training has strengthened local maternity services by increasing access to care and ensuring there is an additional obstetrician with procedural capability available in emergencies – something I believe is essential to the long-term sustainability of the service.

The APTP has also improved patients’ access to additional choice when seeking antenatal care providers.

Madeleine: Obtaining the APTP credential has taken a load off our existing workforce, as I’m now able to participate on our on-call roster unsupervised. My colleagues have had to carry a significant on-call load while I’ve completed the APTP. I feel proud and grateful that I can now repay the favour in a way and allow them some reprieve from our busy obstetric roster.

Now that you have completed the APTP, how do you plan to use your skills?

Claire: I will continue providing safe, supportive and non-judgemental women’s health services in our community, caring for our local women during their pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. It has been an enjoyable time of learning for me, and has added value to my skills, insights into the healthcare system and how best I can improve access and improve health inequities in rural Australia.

Lillian: I plan to continue to offer antenatal and obstetric services in rural towns throughout the remainder of my career. In addition, I hope to be able to undertake upskilling with our visiting gynaecology consultants to offer more gynaecology procedures for women locally.

Madeleine: I plan to continue working at Murray Bridge as a rural generalist obstetrician. I have developed a great love of our community and feel strongly about continuing our maternity service here for years to come. I also look forward to participating in the supervision and teaching of registrars as they pass through our town during their training and think it a great privilege to be able to share such knowledge and skills with others.

Applications for the 2026 round of grants through the General Practitioner Procedural Training Support Program are currently open.

The GPPTSP is open to rural and remote GP Fellows, including those already undertaking the APTP. Check your eligibility and submit an online application by Friday 31 July 2026.

Following the Tasmanian OGET Hub’s successful first workshop in the North region earlier in 2025, the NorthWest Sub Hub has now delivered its own inaugural session, held on 10 December 2025 on beautiful King Island.

This marks the first opportunity for the NorthWest team to bring local clinicians together for hands‑on, scenario‑based emergency training.

The workshop was led by Prof. Boon Lim, Clinical Director, and Kelly Cooper, Clinical Midwifery Educator, who guided participants through a series of high‑value clinical modules, including:

• Management of unexpected preterm birth
• Response and escalation for postpartum haemorrhage
• Practical neonatal resuscitation, featuring the Neopuff infant resuscitator and CPR practice on preterm and infant manikins

A total of nine participants attended, representing a mix of GPs, nurses, students and educators. The multidisciplinary nature of the group created a rich learning environment, with participants collaborating closely to navigate emergency scenarios and refine their clinical decision‑making.

Feedback from the day echoed the strong enthusiasm seen across the Tasmanian Hub since its launch. Participants highlighted the program’s value in strengthening confidence, enhancing teamwork, and providing meaningful professional development in maternity care.

What’s next

With momentum building, the NorthWest Sub Hub has scheduled additional workshops for 2026, with sessions planned in Smithton, Queenstown, Mersey and Burnie. These upcoming events will continue to support clinicians across the region with accessible, high‑quality obstetric and gynaecology emergency training.

The Tasmanian OGET Hub remains committed to empowering clinicians statewide and fostering safer, more connected maternity care for women and families across Tasmania.

°µÍřTV is delighted to announce the launch of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Education and TrainingĚý(OGET) project in Tasmania.

In August 2025, OGET proudly established its newest hub in Tasmania, operating through two sub‑hubs: Launceston (North), led by Dr Frank Clark FRANZCOG, and Burnie (Northwest), led by Professor Boon Lim FRANZCOG. Together, they provide strong clinical leadership and guidance to ensure the hub delivers meaningful training and support across the state.

This initiative has been warmly welcomed by the rural multi-disciplinary health community, who have expressed strong support for the training opportunities it provides in obstetric care across regional townships.

Education will be delivered to communities in King Island, Flinders Island, St Helens, St Mary’s, Scottsdale, Campbelltown, Queenstown, Smithton, LaTrobe (Mersey), and Burnie, ensuring that rural clinicians have access to practical, hands‑on education tailored to their unique needs.

St Helens Hospital hosts first OGET workshop

The first workshop was held in November at St Helens Hospital, led by Dr Jessica Phillips and Midwife Chelsea Rose. The sessions focused on two critical topics:

• Preterm labour in a rural location
• Postpartum haemorrhage

The event drew an outstanding turnout, and encouraged open communication between GPs, paramedics, locums, and nursing staff, fostering stronger pathways for effective response during medical emergencies.

Participants also engaged in hands‑on practice using an obstetric model, including:

• Baby delivery simulation
• Placenta delivery
• Fundal massage techniques

This practical component was praised for its relevance to rural practice, where resources can be limited and collaboration is essential.
Special thanks go out to Janine Stubbs, the Nurse Unit Manager of St Helens Hospital, and Jessica Quin, Practice Manager at Ochre Health, for their invaluable contributions to the success of these workshops.

Feedback from attendees

Overall feedback from participants was extremely positive, highlighting the value of the project:

I really enjoyed the session…The preterm session was very applicable to us and very informative. Having an open floor discussion was great…The practical application of treatment was very reassuring as we work with limited resources.

– Paramedic, St Helens

The workshop was excellent. The delivery was engaging, the topics relevant to our environment, and it was a great opportunity for collaboration amongst nurses, doctors, and paramedics.

– Registered Nurse, St Helens Hospital

I have had some terrific feedback about your team and the delivery of the content. All feedback was positive and appropriate to all the health care team. Thank you so much to you and your team.

– Nurse Unit Manager, St Helens Hospital

Looking ahead

The debut of the Tasmania OGET hub represents an important step in strengthening rural healthcare education. RANZCOG looks forward to supporting future workshops that continue to empower rural clinicians and enhance obstetric emergency care across Tasmania.

Building on this momentum, workshops have continued across the state, with sessions held in St. Helens on 3 December, and in King Island and Scottsdale on 10 December. Together, these initiatives reflect a growing commitment to empower rural clinicians and enhance obstetric emergency care throughout Tasmania.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG; the College) welcomes the release of the Report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding, led by The Honourable Justice Richard Beasley (the Beasley Report; the Report).

This comprehensive review represents a pivotal moment for healthcare reform in New South Wales and opens the opportunity to strengthen our health system for the benefit of all women and families across the state.

A catalyst for transformative change

The Beasley Report’s 41 recommendations provide a solid framework for addressing the systemic challenges that have long impacted healthcare delivery in NSW. RANZCOG is particularly encouraged by the Report’s focus on workforce development, education and training pathways, and the critical need to support regional and rural healthcare services.

For women’s healthcare, these recommendations could not come at a more crucial time. The shortage of specialist obstetricians and gynaecologists, particularly in regional areas, has created significant gaps in access to essential reproductive health services, maternity care, and specialist gynaecological treatment. The Report’s emphasis on workforce planning and training reform aligns with RANZCOG’s longstanding advocacy for sustainable solutions to these challenges.

Strengthening regional healthcare delivery

°µÍřTV endorses the Report’s recommendations regarding regional workforce support and the expansion of specialist training networks. The creation of better rural and regional training pathways represents an approach that could fundamentally change how we prepare the next generation of specialists to serve communities outside metropolitan areas.

For too long, regional women have faced significant barriers accessing specialist obstetric and gynaecological care, often requiring long-distance travel for routine consultations and procedures. The Report’s vision for strengthened regional services offers genuine hope for reducing these inequities and ensuring that postcode does not determine access to quality women’s healthcare.

Our GP obstetrician colleagues, who provide invaluable maternity care across regional NSW, would particularly benefit from enhanced training pathways and support structures outlined in the Report. Strengthening the bridge between general practice and specialist obstetric care is essential for maintaining safe, accessible maternity services in smaller communities.

Training and education reform

The Report’s focus on education and training reform resonates with RANZCOG’s commitment to excellence in obstetrics and gynaecology education. The recommendations for expanding specialist training networks and creating more flexible, regionally-focused training opportunities could help address the maldistribution of specialists that has long challenged our healthcare system.

A call for swift implementation

While welcoming the Report is important, RANZCOG emphasises that the true test lies in implementation. The NSW Government now has a clear roadmap for reform, backed by extensive consultation and rigorous analysis. We urge swift action on the recommendations, particularly those addressing workforce development and regional service delivery, and training.

°µÍřTV stands ready to work collaboratively with the NSW Government, health services, and other stakeholders to translate these recommendations into meaningful change. The College’s expertise in obstetrics and gynaecology training, workforce planning, and clinical standards setting positions us to be a constructive partner in this reform agenda.

Looking forward with optimism

The Beasley Report represents more than just another review – it provides a genuine blueprint for creating a more equitable, sustainable, and effective healthcare system for NSW women and girls and broader community. For the specialist obstetricians and gynaecologists, GP obstetricians, and other healthcare professionals who dedicate their careers to women’s health, this Report offers hope for systemic changes that could transform how they deliver care.

°µÍřTV is optimistic about the opportunity this Report presents to reform NSW healthcare in ways that will benefit current and future generations. RANZCOG commits to playing part in ensuring these important recommendations translate into improved health outcomes for women and families across New South Wales.

Media enquiries

Bec McPhee
Head of Advocacy & Communications
bmcphee@ranzcog.edu.au
+61 413 258 166

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists has launched itsĚýRural, Regional and Remote Women’s Health StrategyĚýat theĚý. The Strategy recognises the unique challenges of providing women’s health care in rural, regional and remote Australia, underscoring the importance of ensuring consistent and timely access to equitable, quality obstetric and gynaecological services to all Australians, regardless of where they live.

Women and families across rural, regional and remote Australia continue to face barriers to accessing essential women’s health services, causing disparate financial, logistical and emotional burden. Constrained access to services, lack of childcare or transport, and other socio-economic restrictions are just a handful of the myriad challenges faced by women in rural areas. This is further exacerbated when examined under an intersectional lens.

From a rural, regional and remote workforce perspective, the maldistribution and lack of upskilling opportunities remain major challenges to maintaining safe and equitable women’s health services. Professional isolation and a lack of support networks have also had an adverse impact on workforce retention, which in turn has a knock-on-effect on succession planning and continuity of service provision.

The RANZCOG Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Health Strategy identifies four strategic priorities, and specific and measurable actions which the College will implement to help address the service and workforce challenges that those in these communities face:

1. 1. °µÍřTV will support the delivery of rural, regional and remote education and training opportunities that will facilitate life-long learning and development for College Members and other health professional groups to help support women in rural, regional and remote communities.
   2. °µÍřTV will advocate for high quality, equitable maternity and gynaecological services across rural, regional, remote and very remote Australia.
   3. °µÍřTV will advocate for equitable maternity and gynaecological services that are culturally safe for First Nations women, and their families.
   4. °µÍřTV will create mutually beneficial relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders to help promote equitable rural, regional and remote women’s health services.

Developed in consultation with College Members, the RANZCOG Regional Fellows Committee, the RANZCOG Associate Procedural Committee, and the RANZCOG Australian O&G Workforce Working Group, and informed by the College’s 2023ĚýRural Women’s Health Roundtable, the strategy provides a dedicated framework to guide the College’s initiatives, ensuring that the complex and multifaceted needs of those receiving and delivering health services in rural, regional and remote contexts are effectively prioritised.

Associate Professor Jared Watts, Chair of the RANZCOG Australian O&G Workforce Working Group said:

Highlighting the College’s commitment to championing improved health outcomes, RANZCOG convened over three-hundred delegates in Glenelg, South Australia, last weekend for their largestĚýĚýto date. Presentations and discussions centred around how we can move forward together to provide the highest level of women’s health care in rural, regional, and remote contexts. Sessions included sustainability in regional health care, an update on pelvic pain management, advancing equitable healthcare, and abortion care in regional Australia. Ěý

Contact us

Do you have questions or would like to find out more about the strategy?
Email:Ěýogworkforce@ranzcog.edu.au.

For media enquiries
Bec McPhee
Head of Advocacy & Communications
0413 258 166
bmcphee@ranzcog.edu.au

The Obstetrics and Gynaecology Education and Training (OGET) project, for which RANZCOG successfully secured funding from the Australian Government in 2021, addresses the essential need for equitable delivery of health services in Australia. Data collected highlights a significant maldistribution of the workforce with a shortage of maternity and maternity-related services in country towns, and a need for training opportunities in rural, regional, and remote areas. The College is now calling on the Honourable Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Aged Care to continue OGET funding beyond February 2025.

Last week, Gympie, a large rural town, located approximately 170 kms north of Brisbane, Queensland played host to both OGET andĚýĚý(the emergency medicine equivalent of OGET) – programs that members and multidisciplinary teams say are desperately needed to retain maternity services in the region.

“It was fantastic to see staff from both the emergency department and maternity, some of whom have worked alongside each other for many years but never met, engage in a lively and collaborative discussion about management of common obstetric emergencies. These programs are so important for the delivery of safe and equitable care – without them, we risk losing our workforce and rural health services,” said RANZCOG Fellow and OGET trainer Dr Vanessa Watson.

“Staff in rural hospitals work so hard, they rarely have time or opportunity to access any education – especially if they are senior staff. EMET and OGET offer opportunities to access education and connect with near-by specialists to help make our work better together,” EMET trainer and Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Fellow, Dr Sonia Twigg, told RANZCOG.

The loss of maternity services in rural towns can have a devastating effect. It can lead to reduced health services overall, young families leaving, and a lack of local services for First Nation Peoples on their own Country. Maintaining high quality and safe obstetric and gynaecological services in rural and remote Australia is therefore essential for many towns’ survival. This however is not without significant challenges. RANZCOG urges the Commonwealth Government to support and ensure the safety of rural and remote women and their families by extending OGET funding.

For media enquiries
Bec McPhee
Head of Advocacy & Communications
0413 258 166
bmcphee@ranzcog.edu.au

The Margaret River hosted an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Education and Training (OGET) workshop developed by RANZCOG at the region’s hospital on Thursday 28 September 2023.

There were 20 participants ranging from midwives, GP Obstetricians, general practitioners, emergency medicine doctors, registered nurses, Royal Flying Doctor service staff, and paramedics that attended the workshop which focussed on Placental Abruption. This can occur when the placenta partly or completely separates from the inner wall of the uterus before delivery. Left untreated, it endangers both the mother and the baby.

Dr Lauren Megaw, Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Bunbury hospital, leads the delivery of the OGET southwest WA hub, coordinated from Bunbury, and supporting the rural WA health services of Margaret River, Busselton, Manjimup, Collie and Bunbury. Speaking about the OGET program, Dr Megaw said: “The OGET session provides comprehensive multidisciplinary conversation to bring shared understanding. It highlights our challenges with transfer and brings out the many issues the sites face. This program will make a difference in the region and will open inter-disciplinary conversations.”

To find out more, please email: oget@ranzcog.edu.au.

The OGET session at Margaret River

The Orange Health Service hosted a RANZCOG Obstetrics and Gynaecology Education and Training (OGET) program workshop at the region’s hospital on Monday 9 October 2023.

The workshop was part of the NSW OGET training hub, led by RANZCOG and funded by the Commonwealth government across six other hubs across Australia to help upskill and educate health professionals who play a key role in the delivery of rural, regional and remote maternal health services. The multi-disciplinary training session with nursing, junior and senior registrar attendees focussed on Shoulder Dystocia – assisting delivery of a baby when a shoulder gets stuck behind the pubic bone of the mother and if not delivered promptly, can eventuate in an adverse outcome for both the baby and mother. The workshop gave the opportunity for participants to practice the manoeuvres necessary to deliver the baby safely on a pelvic model that was attained with OGET funding.

Dr Miguel Marquez, a Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Orange Health Services leads on the delivery of the OGET NSW hub coordinated from Orange Health Services, and supporting the rural NSW health services of Cowra, Forbes, Parkes and Mudgee. Speaking about the OGET program, Dr Marquez said: “I believe this program helps communication, collegiality amongst different health professions dealing with maternal health. I have noted that these sessions have created a forum for communication amongst the different roles and an understanding of how we as a team or department can improve the services that we provide.”

Dr Marquez added: “OGET has given the opportunity for everyone to give their views on complex women’s health situations that we see working in rural and remote NSW in a safe environment and through group discussion, use this as self-reflection into how we, as individuals and as part of a multi-disciplinary team can improve. It has also created opportunities for staff working in remote hospitals to feel supported by large health centres. The rural health workforce is limited, and the lack of staff has meant that being able to leave town to get further training or get continuing professional development is difficult, without having the services affected. Being able to have these sessions in theses rural communities has made this easier. Each session is tailored to the needs of each centre.”

To find out more about that the regular RANZCOG multi-disciplinary OGET program that provides onsite and outreach training to rural and health professionals, including those in Cowra, Forbes, Parkes and Mudgee NSW., please emailĚýoget@ranzcog.edu.au.