The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners

The Division of Rural Hospital Medicine is governed by a Council, representative of rural hospital doctors and rural GPs that work in rural hospitals from throughout New Zealand.

In addition, an Executive, consisting of the Council Chairman and deputy Chairman, Board of Studies Chair, a member responsible for financials, and a member responsible for the training programme, together with the Executive Officer make many of the day-to-day decisions required between formal meetings of Council (which occur three times a year). 

The Division's structure needs to be sustainable. To this end, its policy development, training and recertification programme are integrated into the existing Royal NZ College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) policy, education and assessment infrastructure. 

The main reason it sits as a semi-autonomous body within the existing RNZCGP infrastructure is because even though many rural hospital doctors are general practitioners, many are not. Rural hospital doctors (who are not general practitioners) consider much of their work is outside the current general practitioner scope of practice. 

Its objectives are to:

1. promote excellence in rural hospital medical care
2. train rural hospital doctors to a high standard, with an appropriate range of generalist skills and special interests
3. promote rural hospital medicine as a vocation
4. advocate for rural health and education
5. promote rural health research
6. promote and develop professional relationships
7. provide ongoing professional support.

Its principles are to:

1. have vertical and horizontal interdependence with existing organisations – clinically, administratively and academically
2. be credible and robust
3. be accessible and inclusive
4. be flexible including recognising prior learning and provide training and ongoing education that can be used by other medical disciplines.

Division of Rural Hospital Medicine Regulations