Supporting rural health through the Rural Locum Assistance Program (Rural LAP)
Background
The Rural Locum Assistance Program (Rural LAP) was established by the Australian Government to strengthen the rural health workforce by enabling essential health professionals to take recreation and continuing professional development (CPD) leave. Delivered by Aspen Medical since April 2016, the program provides targeted support to general practitioners, specialist obstetricians and anaesthetists, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals working in rural and remote Australia.
Aspen Medical was awarded the Nursing and Allied Health Rural Locum Scheme (NAHRLS) contract by the Department of Health and Aged Care in 2011. In 2016, NAHRLS was expanded to include obstetricians, anaesthetists and the GP education assistance program. It was renamed the Rural Locum Assistance Program (Rural LAP) to reflect its broader scope. In 2022, the program extended further to support aged care services and outlets facing workforce shortages and providing tailored support enabling staff to take essential leave.
Rural LAP plays a vital role in sustaining the rural health workforce. It allows health professionals to take much-needed breaks while ensuring continuity of care in underserved communities.
Approach
Key features include:
- recruitment and placement of fully credentialed locums
- full coverage of travel, accommodation, and incentive payments for locums
- flexible locum placements of up to 14 working days (or 28 days in priority areas) or within aged care from 14 working days to 90 working days.
- a CPD-focused training stream for urban GPs to develop rural emergency medicine skills
- no recruitment fees or premium wage charges for host organisations.
Rural LAP does not function as a recruitment agency, but a government-funded support service with minimal administrative burden for health services.
Results
Since its inception, Rural LAP has:
- facilitated locum placements across all Australian capital cities and regional areas
- enabled thousands of rural health professionals to take CPD and recreation leave
- delivered more than 11,900 placements for nurses, personal care workers, midwives, allied health professionals and general practitioners, specialist obstetricians and anaesthetists
- supported urban GPs to gain critical emergency medicine skills for rural service
- strengthened access to health services in remote communities while boosting clinician retention.
Outcome
Rural LAP continues to enhance the resilience of Australia’s rural and remote healthcare systems. By supporting health professionals to take well-deserved leave, maintain skills and explore rural practice, Aspen Medical is improving service continuity and workforce sustainability in some of the country’s most isolated regions. The program reduces burnout, promotes professional development, and ensures communities retain access to quality care.
