Why can’t we get permanent general practitioners for our country town?

To the Editor: A rural general practitioner’s workload is significantly larger than that of his or her urban colleagues, and this is attributable to work activities in rural public hospitals.1 A GP who provides after-hours on-call service to the community through the local hospital or emergency department is not only valued, but also more likely to be retained in the rural workforce.2 However, on-call commitments and the unrelenting nature of after-hours care can negatively affect professional and personal wellbeing, family life and opportunities to enjoy the rural location.3