About Us

Welcome to Rural LAP – your trusted partner in providing targeted locum support services to healthcare professionals and aged care workers in rural and remote Australia.

As a vital component of the Australian Government’s rural workforce capacity agenda, our primary focus is supporting aged care workers, obstetricians, anaesthetists, nurses, and allied health professionals in rural and remote regions. We understand the unique challenges faced by health and aged care services in these areas, and our mission is to ensure they receive the support they need. Our health service offering is locum coverage for continuing professional development (CPD) and recreation leave. Our aged care focus is supporting facilities in rural and remote locations impacted by sudden departures, annual leave, and training.

We understand the importance of CPD and work-life balance. Our health service program offers rural locum coverage for up to 14 working days and up to 28 working days for placements in remote locations. Our aged care program covers between 14 and 90 calendar days. Under exceptional circumstances, facilities can request an extension of up to 30 additional days.

Our Australian Government-funded program ensures no fees or charges associated with accessing our locum services. We cover the costs of locum travel, accommodation, and incentives, allowing health and aged care workers to take CPD leave or well-deserved breaks while ensuring uninterrupted service delivery.

We go above and beyond by supporting and recruiting suitable locums for health and aged care workers during their leave, enabling their service to maintain seamless operations and ensure the continuity of care. Rest assured, we handle all locum recruitment, travel, and accommodation costs, removing the administrative burden for your service.

Applying for a locum is simple and convenient. Whether you’re an individual or organisation needing locum support, you can easily submit your request for a locum here.

Urban-based health and aged care workers seeking to experience rural or remote practice can also benefit from Rural LAP. By undertaking a locum placement, you can gain valuable insights and enjoy the incentives offered by working in rural and remote Australia. We encourage those interested in applying for our locum register to complete our expression of interest forms for health services and aged care.

We take pride in being part of the Australian Government’s rural workforce capacity agenda, and we continuously strive to expand our services to meet the evolving needs of rural and remote communities. We are committed to ensuring that health and aged care services in rural and remote locations have the support they need to provide ongoing exceptional care. With Rural LAP, you can trust that continuity of care and a well-prepared workforce is guaranteed.

Join us in our mission to enhance health and aged care services in rural and remote Australia. Contact Rural LAP today to explore how we can support your health and aged care needs and contribute to the well-being of your community.

Our legacy

The Department of Health and Aged Care awarded Aspen Medical the Nursing and Allied Health Rural Locum Scheme (NAHRLS) contract in 2011. Amalgamating in 2016 to include obstetricians, anaesthetists and the GP education assistance program, NAHRLS was renamed the Rural Locum Assistance Program (Rural LAP). In 2022, the Department expanded our program to provide targeted support to eligible aged care services in rural and remote Australia.

For more information about Aspen Medical, please visit our website at www.aspenmedical.com.