The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) says a report showing a significantly higher rate of suicides, homicides and fatal accidents in rural and remote Australia, compared with those in the cities, is an urgent reminder to the federal and state governments that they must do more to get and keep in the bush more GPs who have advanced training in emergency, surgical and anaesthetic care.

The report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Injury deaths, Australia 2004-05, has found that, overall, rates of injury-related death in Australia during 2004-05 increased with the remoteness of the injured person’s residence, with those who resided in very remote areas having a rate more than double that of the national rate.

"Yet the federal and state governments continue to largely ignore the urgent need for measures that would attract and retain in the bush more procedural GPs who are trained in advanced emergency, surgical and anaesthetic care," RDAA president, Dr Nola Maxfield, said.

"Country communities across Australia are crying out for more rural procedural GPs who have the additional training and experience needed to provide emergency anaesthetic, resuscitation and surgical care.

"Many of the rural doctors who are currently undertaking this much-needed work are getting older and nearing retirement or simply burning-out."