A highly-successful regional, rural and remote deployment program for key health care roles is set to be expanded over the next three years, with NSW Health recruiting nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to be posted to short-term placements across NSW.

The NSW Health Deployment Program was first established in May 2023 to create a pipeline of skilled health professionals for short-term roles.

The short-term positions of between two and 13 weeks offer healthcare professionals the opportunity to travel and work in regional, rural and remote parts of NSW they may never have visited, with accommodation and travel costs covered, Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said.

“Recruitment and retention of healthcare staff in rural, regional and remote hospitals is one of our biggest – if not the biggest – issue we face,” Mr Park said.

“This is a fantastic and unique opportunity for staff to expand their skills and also immerse themselves into a new community,” he added.

He said that the Government is currently seeking healthcare workers from more than 20 professions including nurses, midwives and allied health professionals for a range of short-term positions in hospitals and health facilities across NSW.

“This innovative program is not only attracting health workers to regional, rural and remote communities but also strengthening these areas by maintaining essential health services.

“These deployments give health workers the chance to explore and immerse themselves in new communities, and pleasingly I’ve heard stories of many health professionals who have found the experience so rewarding they’ve chosen to stay, providing lasting benefits for patients, the community and the health system,” he said.

The initial success of the program so far has seen 90 staff undertake hundreds of deployments across the state in priority roles such as nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy, podiatry, speech pathology and physiotherapy.

NSW Health will now increase the team to around 400 to further strengthen its support to regional, rural and remote areas, NSW Health Deputy Secretary for Rural and Regional Health Luke Sloane explained.

“The deployment program offers a fantastic career opportunity for a range of healthcare staff who are seeking new experiences and a career reset as well as a great lifestyle change,” Mr Sloan said.

“It’s also an incredibly rewarding personal experience, with many who take part forming new friendships in close-knit communities who welcome them with open arms,” he concluded.