A Western Australian country town is giving 16 per cent of its annual rates income to keep a local doctor. The Shire of Narembeen pays the local medical practice $370,000 a year and also provides a building, a car and a house. Shire President Holly Cusack says the arrangement is financially unsustainable but that losing the GP would mean a 120-kilometre round trip to the nearest doctor. In Kalbarri, a community group crowdfunded more than $70,000 to set up a not-for-profit, bulk-billing clinic after the town's only GP closed in June.
Researchers at Royal North Shore Hospital and the University of Sydney are developing a world-first screening method to detect coronary artery disease before symptoms appear. The approach combines blood tests for biomarkers with CT imaging. More than 5000 people have taken part so far. Sydney mother Jennifer Tucker found she had a severe blockage in a coronary artery after collapsing while pushing a pram. Researchers want to expand the program into rural and remote areas, where heart attack rates are higher and preventative care is harder to access.
Experts say gaps in Australia's health system may be linked to recent violent incidents. Health economist Luke Slawomirski says earlier and more consistent mental health care could prevent some crises. Internal NSW government documents revealed a shortfall of nearly $600 million for public mental health services. Australian Medical Association vice president Julian Rait says many medical graduates cannot find training positions, worsening shortages in rural and regional areas. Research by Redbridge found that healthcare is among the top concerns for One Nation voters, who are gaining support.
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Elizabeth, a 56-year-old from Beaudesert, says her menopause transition was unusual and that her periods eventually stopped. She said she researched beforehand and found caring doctors at the Beaudesert Medical Centre. Rural generalist GP Michael Rice said every woman goes through menopause, with the average Australian age being 51. He said symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and brain fog can be treated safely and effectively by a GP.
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over a reported dirt file on independent MP Helen Haines. The file was reportedly circulated weeks before Dr Haines was struck by a four-wheel drive outside her Wangaratta electorate office. Police allege Brendan Nugent, 43, caused the attack and face several charges, and he is expected to face a committal hearing on February 4, 2027. Dr Haines remains in critical but stable condition at The Alfred, and surgeons amputated both her legs. Mr Albanese did not deny the file and called her a good local member.
Independent MP Helen Haines privately lobbied Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for urgent rural health funding five days before she was allegedly struck by a car outside her electorate office. ABC News understands she gave him a report showing a $2.7 billion funding gap between city and regional areas. Brendan Nugent faces charges including intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official. His lawyer told a court that he has mental health concerns and a neurological condition. Ms Haines remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.
Central Highlands Rural Health has been named the Premier's Small Health Service of the Year at the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards. The award recognises leadership, governance, innovation and service delivery. It is the first time the organisation has won it since forming from the 2019 merger of Kyneton District Health Service and Hepburn Health Service. CEO Maree Cuddihy said the win reflected the efforts of staff and the trust of local communities. The organisation serves the Hepburn and Macedon Ranges shires from campuses in Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford, Kyneton and Trentham.
Central Highlands Rural Health has been named the Premier's Small Health Service of the Year at the 2026 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards. The honour recognises leadership, governance, innovation and service delivery. The service had been a finalist for four straight years before winning. Chief executive Maree Cuddihy said the award reflects the work of staff and the trust of local communities. It is the first time the organisation has received the award since it was formed by merging two services in 2019.
The National Rural Health Alliance says the health spending gap between rural and urban Australians has widened to $9.23 billion in 2026. The gap was $8.35 billion in 2025 and $6.55 billion in 2023. Each rural Australian receives, on average, $1,218 less in healthcare funding a year than city residents, an increase of $138 on last year. People in towns of 5,000 or fewer bear the largest shortfall, at $6,368 less per person each year. The alliance is calling on federal and state governments to act urgently.
A new national pathway for rural cancer patients recommends care as close to home as is safely possible. It was published after research by Deakin University found rural Australians are 13 per cent less likely to survive cancer, largely due to late diagnoses. Nurse Victoria Turner, who had to travel from the NSW Northern Rivers to Queensland for surgery after an ovarian tumour was found, helped shape the guidelines. She described the experience as really traumatic and said the situation was a postcode lottery. The guidelines were developed with Deakin researchers and the Cancer Council.
Independent MP Helen Haines was hit by a car on Monday in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as an attack and a deliberate act. Albanese said Haines is someone of integrity who treats everyone with respect. Haines, the member for the north-eastern Victorian electorate of Indi, has long championed integrity and rural health. She was a key figure in establishing the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Politicians across the parliament, including opposition leader Angus Taylor, expressed shock and support for her.
New research shows rural, regional and remote Australians receive $1218 less per person in health expenditure than people in metropolitan areas. The gap has widened by $138 per person after adjusting for inflation. Small rural towns face the largest shortfalls, totalling $6605 per person, and the largest health workforce gaps. Its chief executive, Susi Tegen, said where people live is affecting the care they receive.
People with intellectual disability are helping shape a five-year University of New England project on health care access for older rural Australians. Two people with lived experience are co-researchers, contributing to survey design, interviews, focus groups and data analysis. Researchers aim to identify gaps in rural health services and encourage earlier intervention. An online survey is open to rural Australians aged 40 and over with an intellectual disability, with findings to be shared with health providers and governments.
A South Australian farmer, Ben Wundersitz, started a fitness group for rural men after a doctor advised him to lose weight. The group, called Fat Farmers, began with ten men and now runs more than 80 groups nationwide. Its members meet weekly to exercise and talk about issues such as drought, financial stress and depression. Since December 2025, a mobile clinic has carried out more than 1000 health checks, which have helped detect conditions such as skin cancer and heart disease.
Drug ARM workers are travelling long distances across Queensland to reach people affected by alcohol and other drugs, and their families. Clinical worker Ben Chan drives hours to see clients in St George, where distance, fuel costs and poor phone signal can stop people getting help. Family Case Worker Melissa Summons covers large areas around Roma, while Sam Kawane Jnr meets clients in Rockhampton wherever they feel comfortable. The workers say their approach is flexible, practical and based on building trust. Support is free, confidential and voluntary, and no referral is needed.
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The west coast Tasmanian town of Strahan has a permanent local doctor for the first time in almost ten years. Dr Cathy Welch recently moved from remote Scotland to take up the post at the town's clinic, which is owned by Ochre Health. Residents say repeating their medical history to a new visiting doctor each time has been hard, and some avoid seeking help. Dr Welch says continuity helps doctors ask better questions. Peak body the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says the national shortage of GPs is beginning to ease.
Four rural GPs have written to South Australia's health minister, calling a new birthing model in the Mid North unsafe and unsustainable. The six-month trial rotates a single birthing team between Jamestown and Crystal Brook hospitals, in response to midwifery shortages. The doctors say the change restricts doctors from providing both maternity and emergency care, and warn of wider staffing pressures. Health Minister Blair Boyer says the change was made on expert advice to reduce the risk of a catastrophic event, and that the trial will be reviewed.
Dr Charlotte Lovejoy has been named General Practitioner in Training of the Year by the Royal Australian College of GPs. The college recognised her commitment to rural and regional healthcare, her leadership and her advocacy. Dr Lovejoy completed the past two years of her Rural Generalist training in Kingaroy, where she worked at Kingaroy Hospital and the Bunya Pines Medical Centre. She shared her experiences as a rural registrar at the college's GP25 conference. She has started work this month at James Street Medical in Brisbane.
