The Single Employer Model, managed by the Victorian Rural Generalist Program (VRGP), will enable rural trainees to be employed by a single health service while undertaking primary care training placements in rural and regional Victoria.

The model is designed to offer trainees a level of stability through certainty of income and working conditions, and a more seamless transition between rural hospital and primary care placements.

“We are committed to supporting programs that enable the future generalist workforce to train, work and live in rural and regional Victoria,” said Matthew Hadfield, Chief Medical Officer, Grampians Health. “We are thrilled to be part of this innovative trial that promises to enhance the training experience for rural generalist trainees. This model not only provides stability for trainees but also strengthens the connections within our rural health community.

“We are confident that benefits unlocked by the Single Employer Model will attract more junior doctors to the region, where we need them.”

The trial will offer up to 15 trainee positions across Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, Grampians Health, and Mildura Base Public Hospital.

Over the course of the trial, trainees can also be seconded to other health services to undertake consolidation of skills or receive advanced skills training in other health services while remaining on the one contract.

The trial is open to full or part-time trainees who are registered with the VRGP, enrolled in the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), or have a stated intention to enrol, and are on a rural generalist training pathway.

Trainees who are planning to undertake a primary care placement in 2025 or 2026 are also eligible to apply.

For more information about Single Employer Model, please visit: Single Employer Model | health.vic.gov.au