Because Rural Health West recognises that medical practitioners require adequate leave of absence from their practices, it devotes significant resources to supporting short-term locum cover for rural doctors taking leave for recreational, educational, sickness, maternity and emergency purposes.

Financial assistance provided to help rural doctors with the cost of taking a break includes:

• Practice Support Subsidies to practices in towns where it is more difficult to attract a locum or there are limited options for arranging alternative local cover
  
• Locum travel subsidies
  
• Agency Fee subsidies
  

Doctors are encouraged to book their locums directly through Rural Health West. To maintain a pool of short-term locums for this purpose, Rural Health West offers considerable incentives, including bonuses, to locums who undertake regular short-term assignments.

Doctors who prefer to arrange their own locum privately are also eligible for financial assistance from Rural Health West.

To find out how to access this financial assistance or to book a locum through Rural Health West, go to Booking a Locum.