There are exciting DPA changes happening in Australia.
Currently, OTD (Overseas trained Doctors) have to work in a DPA location while they complete their RACGP PEP requirements RACGP - Practice Experience Program - Specialist Stream
This takes 6-12 months and OTDs are then subject to a moratorium 10-year and scaling | Australian Government Department of Health before they can work unrestricted. However, there has been a DPA exceptional circumstances appeal process introduced in 2021 and this means a number of great locations now have DPA status and are options for GP’s looking to relocate to Australia.
Currently, these include the fantastic locations of Morayfield and Toowoomba in QLD, Toukley and Port Macquarie in NSW and Bunbury in WA.
- Morayfield is 45 mins to Brisbane CBD and less than 15 minutes to the coast
- Toukley is on the Central Coast and is an hour to the upper north suburbs of Sydney
- Port Macquarie is a coastal town that is in a great location in NSW, less than 3 hours to Newcastle, 4 hours to Sydney and 4 hours to Byron Bay
- Bunbury is a Coastal City in WA less than 2 hours from Central Perth
We expect more to be approved in the coming months.
Once the RACGP PEP requirements are completed OTDs can also access some exemptions that will allow them to work in non-DPA locations -availability of these vary from state to state and there can be additional criteria that have to be met.
If you would like to discuss the new DPA locations or DPA exemptions that are available, please contact Vicki McLaren at Vicki@headmedical.com