Dr Dianne Carr

I currently work as a GP Obstetrician at Bridge Clinic in Murray Bridge, South Australia, a regional town approx. 1 hour from Adelaide with population of approximately 23,000. I work a large private clinic of with an incredible team of 22+ doctors, who also provide emergency, procedural and inpatient services to the local regional hospital.

Since 2022, I also work with Rural Doctors Workforce Agency for the SAVES program, a telehealth service providing remote medical assistance overnight to patients and nursing staff in up to 33 of South Australia’s smaller country emergency departments, providing support to local doctors to enable improved work-life balance and rest.

For me the attraction of general practice is in the diversity and breadth of care we provide both medically and psychosocially to our patients, families and community. I can work to the full scope of my training and have the flexibility in work to be able to adjust to community need, my own interests, and changing life balance.

While I grew up in Adelaide, I had the opportunity to undertake several rural medical placements during my training including a John Flynn Scholarship in North Queensland and Mannum in regional South Australia. I was inspired by the broad scope of clinical practice that my supervising GPs were able to undertake both in clinic and their local hospitals, and the incredible longitudinal relationships formed by working with the same communities and families over years of practice.

I enjoy the variety of clinical work, and the ability to work at top of my scope, working with highly skilled teams with a drive for excellence in care in both clinic and hospital settings.

I find one of the most rewarding aspects of general practice for me is in providing good quality mental health counselling and support. I find it deeply rewarding to watch many of my patients building in strength, confidence and understanding of their mental wellbeing, and moving into a state of recovery. It is a privilege to support the journey.

I would like to strengthen communication and representation of the rural doctors and the communities in which they work with the RACGP at a state and national level. To ensure the RACGP continues to advocate for the needs of rural doctors and the communities in which they work. To promote focus on attraction and support of new rural doctors, so that rural communities can build and continue to thrive.