Physiotherapists play a vital role in Australia’s healthcare landscape. They are capable of working with a wide range of conditions and their expertise in the human body benefits millions of people per year. They have also been first-contact practitioners for decades, helping those who need immediate attention. However, as every Australian is entitled to physiotherapy care, it is extremely concerning that there is a lack of physiotherapists in areas of rural Australia. Around 7 million people – 28% of the Australian population - live in rural and remote areas.  Physiotherapists often contribute hugely to a person’s recovery or rehabilitation plan whether that be from an acute injury or a chronic illness. Some factors as to why there is a critical shortage of physiotherapists in rural settings include a lack of mentorship and career paths, distance, access to professional development and postgraduate education and more.

Bronwyn, a physiotherapist working at a private clinic in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales understands the challenges of working in a rural setting all too well. Having been recruited by the practice in 2021, she moved from a practice in Sydney’s CBD.

“One of the reasons I decided to go rural was because of the part-time work opportunities. I had given birth in 2020 and was after a better work/life balance for my family, so my husband and I packed up and moved to Wagga Wagga with our little girl” said Bronwyn. “My husband is an electrician and luckily, he found work fairly easily but I acknowledge that that isn’t the case for all physios with partners who want to work rurally”.

However, while working part-time gave Bronwyn the freedom to enjoy an enhanced work/life balance, she has felt like she has had to compromise on other factors.

“Sadly, I don’t think my career can progress much here. I would love access to a mentoring program so I can further develop my skills and also be of greater service to the rural community but unfortunately, there is no program for me out here and even if there was, I doubt I’d have the time to participate, I am run off my feet”.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has set up an APA Rural Physiotherapy Australia Facebook page to encourage practitioners like Bronwyn to engage and have access to discussions about issues physiotherapists in rural settings face. While this is a useful tool, it also emphasises the issues within the rural physiotherapists even more.

Bronwyn would also like access to various professional development programs but when she has approached her employer about it, they have expressed their concern about her taking days off work to travel long distances to attend programs.

“My employer suggested participating in online courses to further develop my skills but as they are aware, physiotherapy is a hands-on practice. I don’t think I would gain the same knowledge compared to if I were there in person and that completely defeats the purpose” says Bronwyn.

The APA is concerned that many physiotherapists are qualified and have a high skillset but are deliberately not applying for rural positions when they are so needed. They have called on the Australian government to remove all barriers for physiotherapists who work remotely including support to be provided to establish a national mentoring program for physiotherapists working in rural and remote areas.

“If things can change, I will be very happy. I genuinely enjoy working as a physio in the rural community because it is diverse work and I get the opportunity to wear many hats, something I couldn’t do in Sydney, especially as we are encouraged to specialise. On a personal note, I grew up on a farm in rural Australia and it feels nice to be able to give back to the community in a sense” said Bronwyn.

“I have many friends who are physios in metropolitan areas and some of them have expressed a desire to practice rurally but are turned off because of the issues I face. I truly believe that if something was done about our barriers to mentorship and professional development, rural positions would be more popular and people would be willing to travel greater distances because they are making a real difference to rural health”.