Doctors for the Northern Territory

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) is accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) for setting professional medical standards for training, assessment, certification and continuing professional development in the specialty of general practice. 

We are the only College in Australia dedicated to rural and remote medicine, and we play an important role in supporting junior doctors and medical students considering a career in rural medicine.

We are committed to delivering sustainable, high-quality health services to rural and remote communities by providing:

• Rural generalist training
• Quality education programs
• Innovative support

Strong representation for doctors who serve those communities.

NT Health manages the Northern Territory public health system, operating as one system across 5 regions, providing the full spectrum of essential, quality health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care across the life course.

Each region aligns NT Health with the NT Government regional boundaries and provides greater opportunity for collaboration; ensuring consistency with regional reporting; and strengthening local accountability and responsive care. Public health services are provided through 6 public hospitals, including 2 in Greater Darwin, one in each Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Gove.

Working together to provide direct care to the community through 39 primary health care centres and support 133 clinics/ services in 76 remote communities, operated by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO) throughout the Territory.

Through our rural workforce agency, we address health workforce shortages in regional, rural, and remote Australia by:

• improving access and continuity of access to essential primary health care
• building local health workforce capability to ensure communities can access the right health professional at the right time, and ensuring health practitioners have the right skills and qualifications for their positions 
• growing the sustainability and supply of the health workforce to strengthen long‐term access to appropriately qualified health professionals.
• Identifying workforce needs and solutions

We assess health workforce needs and respond to those needs with informed and evidence-based responses. We do this by:

• reviewing available literature and collation of existing data
• consulting with key stakeholders including industry groups and peak bodies
• conducting surveys, interviews, and other activities to consult and fill information gaps
• liaising with subject matter experts
• consulting with the broad community
• working with the Health Workforce Stakeholder Group.

Support activities:

• Information about living and working within the NT.
• Regional and community information.  
• Attracts, recruits, and supports health professionals working across regional and remote communities in the NT.
• Support programs include orientation for new recruits, professional development, GP locum relief, grants and scholarships, workforce planning and advice, and practice management support.

The Northern Territory Regional Training Hub (NT RTH) was created to further develop medical specialist and rural generalist training capacity through effective collaboration with local and national stakeholders, thereby addressing medical workforce needs in the Northern Territory (NT). We are currently working with relevant colleges, health services and training providers to identify and prioritise the areas of need and in turn, aim to build well-coordinated, and well supported, vocational training pathways.

• NT medical career training mapping
• NT medical career pathway support
• Bursaries
• Professional development
• Videos and podcasts
• Supervisor support
• NT Clinical Academy
• Mentoring programs

The Rural Generalist Coordination Unit (RGCU) has been established within NT Health and funded by Department of Health and Aged Care (DOHAC) to coordinate the training pipeline for rural generalists and assist prevocational doctors in transitioning through their foundational skills. The RGCU provides support to doctors, facilitating their exposure to hospital and primary healthcare experiences essential for a seamless progression into vocational training.

The RGCU has successfully implemented the NT Rural Generalist Pathway – a specialised medical training program designed to attract, retain, and provide support for rural generalist doctors and the NT Health Rural Generalist Strategy, which outlines our strategic direction from 2022 to 2027.

The RGCU are responsible for the administration of the John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program which aims to better streamline and coordinate medical training in regions and fund new rural primary care rotations to boost training capacity for the next generation of doctors.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the voice of general practitioners (GPs) in our growing cities and throughout rural and remote Australia. For more than 60 years, we’ve supported the backbone of Australia’s health system by setting the standards for education and practice and advocating for better health and wellbeing for all Australians.

We cultivate a stronger profession by helping the GPs of today and tomorrow continue their professional development throughout their careers, from medical students and GPs in training to experienced GPs. We develop resources and guidelines to support GPs in providing their patients with world-class healthcare and help with the unique issues that affect their practices. We’re a point of connection for GPs serving communities in every corner of the country.

We’re here to help you start your GP journey in the NT! For more information or assistance, please contact us—were excited to support you every step of the way.