The health of rural doctors and other rural health professionals is critical to the health of the communities they serve. It is important to create clear pathways to formal medical care and to identify and overcome any barriers which prevent their access to it.   

Rural doctors have identified multiple barriers to formal health care and these will be discussed. They are shared by other rural health professionals and can result in delayed treatment of acute and chronic illness, inappropriate self-treatment and diagnosis and suboptimal health screening.

Geographical barriers and close working relationships can limit the rural health professional’s choice of treating doctor and the lack of resident doctor can encourage a type of intermittent episodic medical  care which discourages proper investigation and follow up and a planned preventative approach to the health care of individuals.  

The potential solutions will be discussed drawing on the unique South Australian rural health program experience.