The event brought together representatives from a broad spectrum of the rural health workforce, from allied health professionals to Indigenous health workers.

Rural health priorities and ways to improve the distribution of the rural health workforce were discussed, before a forum hosted by the Department of Health to explore options to implement a single employer model for the National Rural Generalist Pathway (NRGP).

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The NRGP is one of the ways the government is trying to attract and retain skilled rural generalists to country communities.

Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton, who chaired the roundtable, said the government had committed $62.2 million in the 2019/20 budget to implement aspects of the NRGP.

Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine president Associate Professor Ewen McPhee said it was heartening to see the government working hard to improve opportunities to train young health professionals in rural Australia.

"The single funded model looks at how we can better transfer conditions for young doctors into their rural careers and to make it easier to transition from hospital medicine to rural practice," Dr McPhee said.

"The rural roundtable is a fantastic opportunity for all of the health agencies to come together and develop a common understanding around priorities.

"It is not just about doctors, but nurses and allied health professionals and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers. This government is facilitating an important conversation."

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners vice president Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda said having the rural generalist program in the implementation phase would improve access to health services for rural communities.

"Hopefully we can come up with a solution to encourage young doctors to take up positions in rural communities and to better address community needs," Dr Shenouda said.

Mr Coulton said the government supported further work to explore and develop a single employer model fir rural generalists.

It would further support trainees considering rural practice, he said.