1f. Critical Crossroads for Rural Practices: When Help Works—and When to Walk Away
Tracks
Stream 6
| Saturday, May 23, 2026 |
| 10:30 - 11:15 |
| Room C2.2-2.3 (combined) |
Details
Aim/Objective
This panel discussion will support members aims to evaluate the sustainability of rural and remote medical practices by identifying financial, operational and workforce challenges. It will explore practical strategies factors to strengthen long-term practice viability and maintain community care continuity, including diversifying revenue streams, leveraging funding opportunities, considering appropriate ownership models, and implementing succession planning and timely exit strategies.
Summary/Overview
Understanding the viability of rural and remote practices requires a different lens than urban models. Unlike metropolitan areas, rural practices often face smaller patient bases, higher operational costs, and workforce shortages, making sustainability more challenging.
Diversifying revenue streams beyond Medicare is essential; options include private billing, allied health services, telehealth consultations, occupational health programs, and partnerships with local businesses or industries.
Additionally, practices can explore government grants, Primary Health Network (PHN) initiatives, and council incentives such as infrastructure support or relocation packages, which can significantly ease financial pressures.
Ownership models also play a critical role—whether sole proprietorship, partnerships, or corporate buyouts—each comes with unique opportunities and pitfalls, including succession planning and valuation complexities when selling.
Importantly, recognising when to walk away is crucial for long-term wellbeing. Indicators may include persistent financial losses, inability to recruit staff, or personal burnout. Making this decision early, with a clear exit strategy, can prevent further stress and ensure continuity of care for the community.
Learning outcomes:
1. Describe and compare different models of rural practice ownership
2. Identify potential revenue streams, government funding and grants
3. Develop and implement strategies to assist with exit planning, and managing burn out
What is the value to members?
RACGP reaffirms its role as a leader in providing relevant, innovative and timely rural education, ensuring our rural members have access to the high-quality, accredited CPD they need – delivered by their College, for their scope of practice.
How does it align with what members are asking for in our member engagement survey?
More than 50% of members expect the RACGP to support them with their practice sustainability. Securing fair remuneration tt reflects their skills and services they provide
remains a key challenge, and members looks to the Collee for advocacy and practical support in addressing this.
Additionally, the RACGP Member Engagement Survey 2024 reinforced the value members place on being part of a connected professional community, with 67% of respondents reporting a sense of connection to the RACGP. This panel discussion intends to strengthen that connection by fostering peer-based learning but also deepening members’ professional engagement their connection to the College and their rural colleagues.
What strategic objective does that this align with?
1. A flourishing GP workforce
Speaker
A/Prof Michael Clements
Chair, Rural
RACGP
Chairperson
10:30 - 11:15
A/Prof Michael Clements is an experienced Townsville based General Practitioner and practice owner with a background in health leadership and clinical and corporate governance. A/Prof Clements has accrued a wide variety of skills and special interests in his time with the Royal Australian Air Force and then with QLD Health as Director of Medical Services at Ingham Hospital before opening his private practices in Townsville while concurrently working for the QLD Rural Generalist Training Pathway as an advisor. Having worked in rural, remote and overseas clinical environments during and after his fellowship training Michael now gets his ‘rural fix’ by flying himself and other clinicians to remote towns in the Gulf of Carpentaria delivering GP clinics. Clinical interests include veterans’ health, mental health, chronic disease and palliative care.
A/Prof Michael Clements
Chair, Rural
RACGP
Critical Crossroads for Rural Practices: When Help Works—and When to Walk Away
10:30 - 11:15
A/Prof Michael Clements is an experienced Townsville based General Practitioner and practice owner with a background in health leadership and clinical and corporate governance. A/Prof Clements has accrued a wide variety of skills and special interests in his time with the Royal Australian Air Force and then with QLD Health as Director of Medical Services at Ingham Hospital before opening his private practices in Townsville while concurrently working for the QLD Rural Generalist Training Pathway as an advisor. Having worked in rural, remote and overseas clinical environments during and after his fellowship training Michael now gets his ‘rural fix’ by flying himself and other clinicians to remote towns in the Gulf of Carpentaria delivering GP clinics. Clinical interests include veterans’ health, mental health, chronic disease and palliative care.
Dr Sarah McLay
GP
Clermont Country Practice
Critical Crossroads for Rural Practices: When Help Works—and When to Walk Away
10:30 - 11:15
Prof Brad Murphy, OAM
GP
Ashfield Country Practice
Critical Crossroads for Rural Practices: When Help Works—and When to Walk Away
10:30 - 11:15
Brad is a proud Kamilaroi man from NW NSW . Brad joined the Royal Australian Navy aged 15 and later worked around Australia as an Intensive Care Paramedic before entering medical school at JCU, aged 35, as one of the first two graduating Aboriginal Doctors in 2005. He has worked from the Centre of Sydney to the Centre of Australia and established his own award-winning private practice in Bundaberg. He is an advocate for First Nations, Rural, and Veterans’ health. Not having completed high school he now holds Professorial appointments at 3 Australian Universities where he is active in developing the vision for Australia’s future medical workforce. Founding Chair of RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and continues on the RACGP Qld Faculty. He is the inaugural Mayne Professor of Indigenous Health and Wellbeing and Co-Chair of the Widom Council for Indigenous Knowledges at the UQ and Inaugural Professor of First Nations Medicine at CQU.
Dr. Todd Cameron
Co-founder
Scale My Clinic
Critical Crossroads for Rural Practices: When Help Works—and When to Walk Away
10:30 - 11:15
Todd is a GP and opened his first clinic in 2003 in Caroline Springs. He and his team grew Modern Medical to a network of nine locations.
A founding Board Member of ASX listed BGD later Zenitas (ASX: ZNT), Todd switched from running medical clinics to conducting due-diligence and saving owners from their own mistakes. As a founder of Scale My Clinic, Todd's personal mission is to give GP clinic owners their lives back and create financially sustainable GP Practices.
He does this by helping members design better teams and systems which open the door to excellence.
