A Federal Government scheme allowing junior doctors to work as non-VR GPs in rural communities will put patients at risk, ACRRM and the RACGP are warning.

The More Doctors for Rural Australia Program has been running since April, sold as a ‘try-before-you-buy’ option designed to attract doctors into general practice training.

But there are concerns it is being used as a cheap fix to resolve rural workforce shortages.

The program involves junior doctors with as little as two years’ hospital experience being given Medicare provider numbers to work in workforce shortage areas, with those signing up able to claim rebates at 80% the rate of those for VR GPs.