Medical superintendents with right of private practice in Queensland: practice, training and support

This article presents the findings of a 1993 study into the work patterns, training and support needs of Medical Superintendents with Right of Private Practice (MSRPP), in Queensland funded by the Southern Queensland Rural Division of General Practice. These doctors form a small but significant subset of the medical workforce with a diverse range of duties, and until now there has been no formal study of their professional and family circumstances. Survey and interview data indicate that MSRPPs are a group subject to considerable professional and social pressure, usually in isolated practice and therefore vulnerable to attrition. This study aimed to provide a clearer identification of what MSRPPs do, what they need and how these needs can be met; and thus to contribute to more favourable retention rates for this sub-set of the rural medical workforce.