Why is this useful for rural and remote people?

For many rural and remote communities the loss of the local GP means the loss of the local General Practice and primary health care services. When a rural practice closes, the town loses the clinical infrastructure, practice staff and medical records making it impossible for a new GP to come along and start a new practice. Understanding the different roles that other health professionals can play in delivering primary health care services, such as Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Enrolled Nurses, Aboriginal Health Workers etc, can enable communities to maintain the majority of medical services even if a GP is not available locally. This can help rural and remote towns keep the local practice open and operational while looking for a new GP. The CARPA Manual is an invaluable resource for rural and remote practices in expanding how we think about the skills we have available locally, and how they can be deployed safely and effectively to maintain continuity of care when GPs leave.