National Rural Health Alliance

National Rural Health Alliance The Alliance provides a united voice for people and health professionals living and working in rural Australia Be respectful and polite. Respect others’ privacy.

The National Rural Health Alliance (the Alliance) is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of the 7 million people in rural and remote Australia. The Alliance provides a united voice for people and health professionals living and working in rural communities and advocates for sustainable and affordable health services. Our most important role, underpinned by our broad representative base

, is listening to the people of rural, regional and remote Australia and taking their views to government. The Alliance uses social media platforms to engage with our members, followers, and other stakeholders in a friendly and inclusive manner. Through social media, we inform, educate, inspire, build connections, and have conversations. Please note that these terms of use apply to all National Rural Health Alliance social media channels, including, but not limited to, Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. The National Rural Health Alliance’s Commitments

• We will be transparent in our social media engagement.
• We will protect our consumers’ privacy in compliance with applicable Privacy Policies, IT Security Policies, and laws, rules, and regulations.
• We will respect copyrights, trademarks, rights of publicity, and other third-party rights.
• We will be responsible in our use of technology and will not knowingly align the organisation with any organisations or websites that use excessive tracking software, adware, malware, or spyware.
• We will reasonably monitor behaviour in the social media space, establish appropriate protocols, and keep appropriate records as dictated by law and/or industry best practices.
• Our content will be aligned to our vision and values.
• Comments will be moderated and may be deleted in accordance with our social media house rules. Social Media House Rules

The Alliance welcomes feedback and encourages healthy discussion, but please ensure your engagement on our social media platforms is in line with our house rules. Due to the 2021 High Court ruling, every organisation that administers a social media account is legally responsible to moderate any activity or interactions on their social media platforms. By interacting with the Alliance and the Alliance’s affiliated pages, groups, events, ads, posts (or anything else that may fall under the Alliance’s social media domain), you agree to abide by our social media terms of use and our “House Rules”. The Alliance can make no guarantee that your contribution will be published or remain published and reserves the right to delete any comments that are considered inappropriate by the organisation’s moderators.

1. Treat other people, including Alliance employees, with respect and courtesy. Comments using inappropriate language, which are abusive, obscene, or which appear to deliberately provoke arguments, will be deleted. Explicit content or content of a harassing nature will be deleted. The Alliance reserves the right to delete comments that are considered inappropriate by the organisation’s moderators.

2. Don’t post unlawful comments or content. Do not use language that is defamatory, discriminatory, incites violence, infringes copyright or is otherwise unlawful. Comments that are fraudulent, deceptive, misleading, in violation of any intellectual property right of another, or in violation of any law or regulation, will be deleted.

3. Don’t include personal details such as phone numbers, postal or email addresses in publicly visible comments. If you wish to raise an issue that requires sharing your contact information with Alliance employees, please contact us.

4. Don’t advertise. Comments that seek to endorse commercial products or activities or solicit business or personal promotion may not be accepted. The Alliance publishes links to other websites at its sole discretion. We reserve the right to remove comments and messages considered to be spam, or posts containing the same, or similar, message posted multiple times. This also extends to link baiting or files containing viruses that could damage the operation of other people’s computers or mobile devices. Use of the Alliance’s Content

Sharing on social media is expected and welcomed. All intellectual property rights in the content owned by and posted by the Alliance are reserved to the Alliance. Such content is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. You may not otherwise reproduce, republish, modify, or adapt the Alliance’s content, without obtaining the organisation’s prior written permission. You agree not to remove, obscure, or alter any National Rural Health Alliance copyright notice or trademark on any content you access and use. You also agree not to use the Alliance’s content in a way that implies endorsement by the organisation, or any person included in the materials, without obtaining prior written consent. Visit www.copyright.com.au for information under section 113P of the Act. For any queries or concerns regarding the Alliance’s engagement on social media or our social media terms of use, please contact us.

Imagine being told that if you want  , you'll have to pack up your life and move to the city. For many  , that's the rea...
01/06/2026

Imagine being told that if you want , you'll have to pack up your life and move to the city. For many , that's the reality.

Our Chief Executive, Susi Tegen, recently spoke at a ‘Lunch and Learn’ session hosted by WOTSO Symonston, ACT, about why advocacy and promotion matter for , and what impact this makes to the 30% of the population that live and work in rural Australia.

Ms Tegen added that the health spending gap between urban and rural Australia has widened over time and now stands at $8.35 billion per year.

"We need a National Rural Health Strategy, as rural health too often takes a back seat in national health policy and funding discussions, and implementation."

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am906KTJam8

Finally, something positive in  !Our Policy and Strategy Director, Margaret Deerain, in her article in the Australian Jo...
29/05/2026

Finally, something positive in !

Our Policy and Strategy Director, Margaret Deerain, in her article in the Australian Journal of Rural Health, says the next National Health Reform Agreement 2026–2031, with a dedicated Schedule for rural and remote health, is a real chance for genuine and lasting reform for rural health, if followed by an implementation plan and with resources attached.

"It is very positive and in line with our advocacy over recent years," Ms Deerain writes, and adds that the Agreement should not be limited to just words on a page.

"Dedicated resources and investments from all levels of government must follow and show that the words in the National Health Reform Agreement will translate into more access and more services for rural populations," Ms Deerain says.

Read the article here:

The National Health Reform Agreement 2026–2031 has now been published. As the primary framework governing health funding in Australia, the Agreement also sets the overarching policy direction and def...

27/05/2026

Christie Rodda is a rural journalist and healthcare worker in Beechworth, northeast Victoria.

She's just finished a shift in the regional emergency department. It's 41 degrees. She's on her way home — but first she's stopping in to do a home visit for one of her general practice patients.

The patient has chronic kidney disease and a range of other conditions. She lives ten minutes out of town, has no social supports, and couldn't make her appointment earlier in the week because she just didn't feel well enough to get there. Beechworth lost its taxi service 18 months ago. There's no public transport either.

"We don't have a heap of other options," Christie says. "But it's a nice part of the job. It's what we do in rural practice."

That quiet, matter-of-fact dedication is what holds rural healthcare together. But it shouldn't fall on individuals to fill the gaps the system has left behind.

Share this if you think rural Australians deserve better.

Emma McBride MP Mark Butler MP Beechworth Health Service Northeast Health Wangaratta Albury Wodonga Health Gateway Health Victorian Department of Health Rural Doctors Network ABC Rural Rural Doctors Association Australia RACGP Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Consumers Health Forum of Australia

Check your   and recognise symptoms early.Rural populations have a 21% higher risk of   compared to cities. Talk to your...
27/05/2026

Check your and recognise symptoms early.

Rural populations have a 21% higher risk of compared to cities. Talk to your healthcare provider now.



Every breath matters💚

This Lung Health Awareness Month, you can help change lives by supporting Australians living with lung disease and lung cancer.

Your donation helps fund vital research, deliver trusted support services, and advocate for better lung health nationwide.

Give the gift of breath today.

👉 Donate now: https://lungfoundation.com.au/campaigns/give-the-gift-of-breath-this-lung-health-awareness-month/

On National Reconciliation Week 2026, we are 'All In' for stronger relationships and better health outcomes for   people...
26/05/2026

On National Reconciliation Week 2026, we are 'All In' for stronger relationships and better health outcomes for peoples.

For us, reconciliation means working together to create a health system that is culturally safe, equitable and shaped by First Nations voices. We recognise that achieving needs listening, partnership and shared commitment. Elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander models of care, research, innovative health programs, and the workforce is central to our work.

Join National Reconciliation Week activities to learn more and meaningfully engage in building relationships, respect and trust between communities: reconciliation.org.au/calendar/


Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association
National Association of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Workers
Reconciliation Australia

We're proud to hear our   keynote speaker, Dr Simon Quilty, on ABC Radio National Breakfast, raising housing issues in t...
26/05/2026

We're proud to hear our keynote speaker, Dr Simon Quilty, on ABC Radio National Breakfast, raising housing issues in the NT.

As COO of Wilya Janta, Dr Quilty explained how poor quality housing and overcrowding in the NT are contributing to the spread of illness. He also spoke about the groundbreaking work of his organisation.

Listen here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/changing-oz-simon-quilty-building-better-home-for-first-nations-/106708396

Hear more from him at our 18th National Rural Health Conference in Tarntanya/Adelaide, this September: https://ruralhealth.org.au/18nrhc/keynote-speakers/

Simon Quilty is the co-founder of the Indigenous-led housing initiative Wilya Janta and has been involved in the creation of new pilot homes in Tennant Creek.

What does it take to make health research and   truly work for  ?Assoc Prof DAVID GONZALEZ is tackling exactly that ques...
23/05/2026

What does it take to make health research and truly work for ?

Assoc Prof DAVID GONZALEZ is tackling exactly that question, and he’s bringing the conversation to the in Tarntanya/Adelaide this September.

As Head of and Research at the University of Adelaide and National Director of PARTNER, Australia’s first rural general practice network, David is helping reshape how research is done across rural Australia. His work helps more than 100 rural practices nationally, enabling fair access to innovation, clinical trials and funding.

His approach is practical and grounded in the realities of , reducing the burden of research participation while increasing its value to practices and patients.

With expertise spanning medicine, and research, David joins an outstanding speaker lineup.

This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Early bird registration: https://ruralhealth.org.au/18nrhc/registration/

What does strong   leadership look like? Professor Judy Searle's career will tell you that leadership is not only about ...
20/05/2026

What does strong leadership look like?

Professor Judy Searle's career will tell you that leadership is not only about governance and strategy. It's also about patient safety, quality care and clinician voices.

Judy earned a reputation for exceptional leadership and a relentless focus on patient safety during her time as Deputy Board Chair and Chair of the Safety and Quality Committee of the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service.

A clinician herself, Judy introduced a standing agenda item for clinicians to share patient stories directly with the Board, making sure that decisions were based on real experiences and real outcomes.

She is now Governing Board Chair of a large, complex $1.3 billion public hospital and health service in South Australia.

Hear more about her journey and how the future of should look like at .

📍 Tarntanya/Adelaide

📅 14–16 September 2026

Early bird registrations still apply: https://ruralhealth.org.au/18nrhc/registration/

15/05/2026

"What will it take — a death of a child to be heard?"

That's the question a practice nurse at Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo is asking after fighting since February 2023 to fix a crisis that nobody in power seems willing to acknowledge.

Children in western NSW with global developmental delays and behavioural concerns have no access to paediatric care. Aboriginal families are beyond desperate. Communities are in crisis. The system has failed them.

But there is hope. Little Wings is already flying a paediatrician into Warren and Trangie. The model exists. The proof is there. All that's missing is the funding and the will to act.

"We do not live in a third world country. Do not treat our children this way."

Share this because these children deserve to be heard.

NACCHO Aboriginal Health Australia Greater Western Aboriginal Health Service Marathon Health NSW Health Rural Doctors Network ABC Rural Guardian Australia Dubbo Regional Council headspace Dubbo Child Family Community Australia National Association of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Workers National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Women's Alliance Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association NSW Health Nurse & Midwife Support Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia Australian College of Midwives (ACM) Australian College of Nursing

We welcome the Government’s willingness to address cost-of-living pressures on Australian households. But the health bud...
13/05/2026

We welcome the Government’s willingness to address cost-of-living pressures on Australian households. But the health budget still tinkers around the edges for .

Listing new medicines on the PBS, investments for social and affordable housing for First Nations peoples in remote areas, and continued funding for Strengthening Medicare are among the positives in this Budget.

However, there is still an absence of targeted investment for , , and for rural and remote Australia.

“The real test with the Budget is whether the dollars reach rural people, First Nations communities and primary care in thin markets where access is hardest,” said our Chief Executive Susi Tegen.

Read more in our media release: https://shorturl.at/z9JhA

Address

Deakin, ACT
2600

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61262854660

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