What actually keeps remote health workers in their roles?

Recruit the right person for a regional or remote role, invest in their training, and settle them into the community, only to farewell them 18 months later and start the search all over again. It is a cycle many regional and remote health services know all too well.

We work with regional and remote clinics across Australia here at Wavelength, and staff retention comes up in almost every conversation. A recent study looked at what matters most to remote primary healthcare (PHC) workers when it comes to staying in their roles, and the findings offer some useful guidance for health services wanting to build a more stable workforce.

The retention initiatives making the biggest difference

Three types of initiatives stood out as most valued by remote PHC workers:

• Financial incentives, such as retention bonuses, salary increases and subsidies to help offset the cost of living.
• Flexible work arrangements, including extra annual leave and greater flexibility around time off.
• Support for culturally appropriate care delivery, such as First Nations leadership opportunities and on-Country training.
  

Retention priorities differ for First Nations staff

The study also identified clear differences in retention preferences between First Nations and non-Indigenous remote healthcare workers. First Nations staff placed greater value on initiatives that strengthen cultural safety and community connection, including more First Nations leadership, on-Country training, employment opportunities for local community members, clear career progression pathways and recognition of staff achievements.

These findings point to a practical opportunity. Investing in culturally safe workplaces and creating stronger leadership pathways for First Nations staff could meaningfully improve retention across remote health services.

There is no single fix, and that is the point

No single initiative solves retention on its own. The most effective approach combines a mix of incentives, tailored to the needs of individual staff members and the communities they serve.

Workforce preferences also vary significantly across the remote healthcare sector, which reinforces a simple but important principle: listen to staff, and build retention packages around their actual priorities rather than assumptions about what should work.

Building a retention strategy that works

For health services and practice managers, the message is clear. Investing in targeted, flexible retention strategies helps improve workforce stability and supports the delivery of accessible, sustainable, high-quality care in remote communities.

If retention is an ongoing challenge for your practice or health service, we would like to help. Wavelength works with regional and remote health services across Australia on locum and permanent recruitment, backed by real workforce expertise.

You can read the full study here.

Source: Mbuzi V et al., BMC Health Services Research (2026).