RACGP Rural Chair Michael Clements Steps Down After Six Years of Advocacy
06 Nov 2026
Based in Townsville, Queensland, Associate Professor Clements is a GP and practice owner who regularly travels by plane to remote communities near the Gulf of Carpentaria to provide medical services.
His experience as a rural doctor, aviation enthusiast and former Royal Australian Air Force doctor has shaped his commitment to making healthcare more accessible for people living outside major cities.
He joined the RACGP Rural Council in 2017 and became Chair in 2020. He is now completing the maximum six-year term.
Throughout his leadership, he has focused on ensuring rural doctors and communities have a stronger voice in healthcare decisions. He has also supported greater recognition of women in rural medicine and leadership.
RACGP Rural Provost Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda praised his contribution, highlighting his regular visits to rural practices and his efforts to understand the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in remote areas.
Associate Professor Clements said the achievements during his time as Chair were the result of teamwork and the dedication of the Rural Faculty, its board and RACGP leadership.
One of the major achievements during his leadership was progress towards formal recognition of rural generalist medicine.
The RACGP began working towards this goal following the 2018 Collingrove Agreement, which established cooperation between the RACGP and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) to develop a national rural generalist framework.
Progress continued with initial recognition in 2021, specialty recognition within general practice in 2025 and rural generalist Fellowship accreditation in 2026.
Associate Professor Clements was among the first rural GPs to register in rural generalist medicine with AHPRA when applications opened on 1 September. By the end of October, more than 1,100 medical practitioners had joined the register.
He also stressed that rural healthcare depends on both rural GPs and rural generalists. He said many rural doctors provide essential medical services without necessarily working in areas such as obstetrics or emergency medicine.
Other achievements during his time as Chair included the return of GP training to the RACGP and the development of a rural generalist anaesthesia qualification through a partnership between the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA).
The 12-month training program aims to strengthen anaesthesia services in rural and remote communities.
Associate Professor Clements also highlighted the need for continued independent advocacy for rural doctors. He said rural practices require flexible funding and support to work with nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals to meet local healthcare needs.
Although he will leave the Rural Faculty Chair position after GP26, he will continue working with the RACGP. He has recently become Chair of its newly established Expert Committee – GP Workforce.
In this new role, he will focus on workforce issues across both urban and rural communities.
He said rural and remote practices often provide an early indication of wider problems in the healthcare system, making their experiences important when planning improvements to healthcare services.
RACGP Rural Chair Michael Clements Steps Down After Six Years of Advocacy
Source: newsGP, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).