There’s a reason that primary care has long been called the ‘frontline’ of medicine. Better access to preventative and ongoing primary care keeps people healthier, helps detect issues earlier, reduces hospitalisations, and ultimately strengthens communities.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section (RFDSSE) is deeply committed to increasing access to primary care throughout rural and remote New South Wales. Primary healthcare forms the majority of the RFDSSE’s work, with GPs and primary health nurses delivering 3 out of every 5 occasions of care in the last financial year.
But, despite continued efforts to increase accessibility, men in rural Australia still encounter challenges to get the medical support they need, to the detriment of their long-term health and longevity.
The National Health Rural Alliance’s (NHRA) Rural Health in Australia Snapshot 2025 found that men in ‘very remote’ areas were dying up to 13.6 years earlier compared to men in metro areas. Primary care is not the only factor behind the divide, but early, preventative care will play an important role in closing it.
RFDSSE’s GP, Dr Tanvir Kapoor, believes GPs have the power to help overcome gender-specific challenges.
According to Dr Kapoor, “Geographic isolation is a major barrier for anyone in rural areas, regardless of your gender. Hours of travel, stepping away from work, fuel costs – these are physical challenges that make prioritising your health more difficult.
“But that distance creates another kind of barrier, especially for male patients that I see. When there’s no one nearby to physically talk to regularly, knowing how to start the conversation when you are in the clinic can be that much more difficult.”
This is plainly visible to Dr Kapoor and our many other primary health teams on clinic days. Looking back at the RFDSSE’s clinical data since 2021, it found that for every 10 women, the RFDSSE sees between the ages of 21 and 30, it sees four men. This improves with age, when for every 10 women the RFDSSE sees between the ages of 51 and 60, it sees eight men.
Younger men are delaying their visits to the doctor, predominantly coming in for vaccinations and skin checks. However, as male patients get older, they are more likely to present with chronic pain, hypertension, and other preventable health concerns like gout.
While delivering primary care with the RFDSSE, Dr Kapoor has built strong, trusted relationships with patients that, he believes, are instrumental to tackling health concerns early on.
"Many of the men I see are looking after their family, their community, their land, their machinery. But looking after their own mind and body is rarely talked about,” says Dr Kapoor.
It can be difficult to open up about what’s weighing on your mind, but know that your GP isn’t just there to support with diagnosis and treatment options. They also help create a judgment-free, trusting environment so you can have open, sometimes hard, conversations in the first place.
Dr Tanvir KapoorThis relationship is supported by the RFDSSE’s commitment to patients’ continuity of care, with patients booked to see the same GP and nurse wherever possible.
“Some people feel comfortable talking about whatever’s on their mind from the first appointment, and that’s fantastic. For others, we might talk about the smaller stuff initially before we tackle the more vulnerable topics. No matter how big or scary it might seem, we are here to help.”
If you’re due a check-up, have a health concern, or simply noticed a change in your body, contact your local GP clinic today.
For all urgent or life-threatening medical concerns, always call 000.
