Aspen Medical subsidiary, the Rural Locum Assistance Programme (Rural LAP), celebrated reaching the historic milestone of 5,000 placements on Thursday 29 September 2017.  The programme is funded by the Australian Government. 

Since 2011, Rural LAP and its predecessor, the Nursing and Allied Health Rural Locum Scheme (NAHRLS), has helped thousands of rural and remote health professionals take much needed leave to recuperate and come back to work revitalised and ready to provide quality health services to their communities. Rural LAP provides a cost-effective service to practices by providing health professionals to rural and remote practices for short periods of time with no extra costs to those practices.  In 2016, the programme expanded to incorporate obstetrics, anaesthetics and GP education assistance. 

Elizabeth Murray, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Rural Access Branch within the Department of Health, presented the Rural LAP 5000th Locum Award to registered nurse Chris Leonard, who recently took up a placement in at Moruya Hospital in New South Wales.

Chris Leonard embodies all that is best about Rural LAP having completed more than 20 placements with the programme.

“I believe all Australians deserve equally high quality health care regardless if they live in the city or out bush. Rural LAP has enabled me to assist my peers working in rural Australia by providing them the opportunity to go on an essential break for holidays and proeffional development,” said Chris.

Image: Chris Leonard.