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About Rural Doctors Network

Rural Doctors Network exists to advance rural medical and clinical practice. It is one of several purpose-led social enterprises of RDN - The Charity for Health Access, a registered charity which traces its origins to 1988 and the vision of family doctors based in rural New South Wales, Australia.

Rural Doctors Network began its journey as an organisation supporting the recruitment and retention of rural General Practitioners (GPs) in New South Wales, Australia. Since then, the organisation has evolved in response to the changing health landscape, and greater need for solutions that support the broader multidisciplinary rural health workforce including GPs, rural resident and non-resident medical specialists, allied health practitioners, nurses, midwives, Aboriginal Health Practitioners and professionals, practice managers, carers and health administrators.

Today, Rural Doctors Network supports a range of initiatives including future workforce development, education and training to advance rural health, medical and clinical practice, along with rural development.

A message from our Patron

In 2024, Rural Doctors Network received the Vice Regal Patronage of Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales.

"It was a great pleasure to become the inaugural Vice Regal Patron of Rural Doctors Network in 2024, and in doing so, to offer support to a charitable organisation which was ‘born and bred’ in rural NSW and has contributed so significantly to the health and wellbeing of people in our regional, rural and remote communities for almost 40 years." - H.E. The Hon. Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW.

 

History of Rural Doctors Network

Rural Doctors Network began in 1988 as an organisation supporting the recruitment and retention of rural General Practitioners (GPs) in New South Wales, Australia. Since then, the organisation has evolved in response to the changing health landscape, and greater need for solutions that support the broader multidisciplinary rural health workforce including GPs, rural resident and non-resident medical specialists, allied health practitioners, nurses, midwives, Aboriginal Health Practitioners and professionals, practice managers, carers and health administrators.

In 2016, the baton of leadership passed from founding CEO Dr Ian Cameron to Mr Richard Colbran PhD. In 2022, the Network published its tenth Strategic Plan, in which Chair A/Prof John Kramer and CEO Richard Colbran outlined the evolving mission of the organisation:

The role of Rural Doctors Network, and all health and social service organisations, is to lead by example and set a course that can sustain a basic human right - equitable access to health and social services, no matter where the person lives - Rural Doctors Network Strategic Plan 2022-2025

In 2023, proud rural doctor and Wiradjuri man Professor Peter O'Mara became the first Aboriginal Chair of Rural Doctors Network. 

"Rural Doctors Network has played an important role in the increasing number of Aboriginal people accessing education and training in the health sector, including RDN’s cadetships for Indigenous medical students, recruitment support for ACCHSs and other Aboriginal health services, and scholarships and grants to upskill, all available in a culturally safe environment.” - Rural Doctors Network Chair Professor Peter O’Mara, 2023

In March 2024, Rural Doctors Network was honoured to receive the Vice Regal Patronage of Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales. 

"It was a great pleasure to become the inaugural Vice Regal Patron of Rural Doctors Network in 2024, and in doing so, to offer support to a charitable organisation which was ‘born and bred’ in rural NSW and has contributed so significantly to the health and wellbeing of people in our regional, rural and remote communities for almost 40 years. - Margaret Beazley, Governor of New South Wales, 2025

Today, Rural Doctors Network operates as a social enterprise of RDN - The Charity for Health Access, advancing rural health, medical and clinical practice, along with rural development.

"RDN supports the World Health Organisation’s goal of achieving a world in which all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship.” - RDN Strategic Plan 2025-2028

RDN social enterprises:

Rural Doctors Network is a social enterprises of RDN - The Charity for Health Access. Known as Health Access Enterprises, each of RDN’s social enterprises works to improve health and social care access in different but connected ways.

Read more about RDN's Health Access Enterprises:

The Rural Doctors Network was founded in 1988 and is the longest running enterprise of RDN. As the senior enterprise, it was previously used as an umbrella term for our organisation, however, today “Rural Doctors Network” is just one of four enterprises operating under the umbrella of “RDN - The Charity for Health Access.

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