Free haircuts and a year of lattes: Dr Jared Kilday’s master plan to recruit a GP
After struggling to attract a doctor to his rural practice, Dr Jared Kilday hatched a new plan.
It is a recruitment package with the modern GP in mind: free haircuts, lattes, Pilates and craft gin.
The fringe benefits are the brainwave of Dr Jared Kilday, who has rustled up a year’s worth of perks to entice a GP to his country practice.
Since his previous GP partner retired 12 months ago, Dr Kilday has tried working with rural workforce agencies and advertising to attract a doctor to Birregurra, 130km south-west of Melbourne, with barely a nibble.
“I was on holiday over summer, sitting on the beach and staring out to sea, thinking, ‘What can we do differently?'” says Birregurra’s only GP, who treats about 1000 people.
