The RFDS in VIC

Rural Women's GP service

RFDS Victoria delivers a Rural Women’s GP service to a number of small rural communities across Victoria, with the aim of providing a gender choice to all patients who would like to see a female GP or a consistent visiting GP.

The RWGP service is provided through funding from both the Rural Workforce Agency Victoria (RWAV) and donors. This service is 100% bulk billed, leaving the patients with no out-of-pocket expenses. The service is highly valued by both women and men in the communities we visit.

The clinics are run every six to eight weeks and are hosted in partnership with a local GP clinic in the area. Currently the service is run in Robinvale, Yarram, Hopetoun, Charlton, Harrow, Balmoral and Ouyen, with clinics also at the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-Op (MVAC) and Robinvale District Health Service (RDHS).

Courtney is a user of the RFDS Rural Women's GP. She holds her baby Marley.

Why the Flying Doctor offers this service

People who live in rural areas in Australia tend to have shorter lives, higher levels of illness and higher risk factors for disease, compared to people who live in metropolitan areas.

In small rural communities across Victoria, typically there is only one local GP, most often male. Some patients prefer to consult with a female doctor for a range of health issues. This is significant when considering that 7 in 10 Victorian women who develop cervical cancer either never had a Pap test or did not have them regularly prior to diagnosis.

Meet our patients

Watch the video below to find out more about the real impact this service has on Victorian communities.

You can also read more Rural Women's GP service patient stories here.

How to contact our team

To find our more about the Rural Women's GP service, please call 03 8412 0444 or email rwgps@rfdsvic.com.au.

Our communities

See below the Victorian communities that were visited by the Rural Women's GP service in the last financial year.

Refer to the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights for information about the rights of patients and other people using the Australian health system.