Volume 2

This article documents the experiences, and in particular the difficulties, of women doctors and nurses in remote settings in Australia. It provides important evidence that needs to be taken into account when policy makers look for what seem to be 'quick-fix' solutions to providing female health practitioners to remote regions. Some may question the consistently negative descriptions of male practitioners in this article. The effect of gender in workforce and service planning is of international importance, but may be expressed differently in different cultures. This Journal would be interested in any original research, or personal views, that may confirm these findings or add alternative views to this debate.

A thought provoking article, based on interviews with women living in remote Australian communities, that asks us to think further about the needs of women having babies in the bush.

You may have read of medical schools increasing the exposure of undergraduates to rural practice as part of a longterm national workforce strategy. This article presents baseline data from a nursing and allied health perspective to complement the wealth of information available in medicine. As you will see, there is great enthusiasm for such initiatives, but solutions may be quite different to those used in medicine.

This commentary elaborates on the themes of Greenwood and Cheers recently published articles. Written by the Chair of Australia's rural health consumer representative body, this commentary invites us to consider the inequities faced by all people living in remote communities, and challenges us to be part of the solution.

Enjoy reading this account of the establishment of an innovative 'IT' approach to supporting medical care in communities where it is difficult to sustain resident services. Do such areas exist in the UK? Read this article and you will discover an experiment that has applicability in many countries.