Life on Flinders Island: Rural GPs delivering care beyond the clinic
21 Aug 2026
Living in the community allows them to build strong relationships and provide ongoing care in one of Tasmania’s most remote locations.
Flinders Island is about 55 kilometres off Tasmania’s north-east coast and has around 900 permanent residents, alongside seasonal visitors and workers.
Dr Lynne Davies and Dr Alex John work at Ochre Medical Centre Flinders Island. Both describe their approach as traditional general practice, where doctors live in the community, provide after-hours care and know their patients well.
Dr Davies first visited the island as a locum about 20 years ago. After regularly returning to work there, she eventually made Flinders Island her permanent home.
Dr John also moved to the island initially for its shorter moratorium period but decided to stay. He says the island’s natural beauty, relaxed lifestyle and close community made it an easy place to call home.
Their work involves a broad range of responsibilities. Alongside general practice, they provide care in the emergency department, support a small inpatient unit and aged care facility, and manage after-hours services.
The doctors also provide outreach care to Cape Barren Island, known as Truwana. One doctor travels there each week by small aircraft to run a clinic and support the local nurse.
For Dr Davies, continuity of care is one of the most rewarding parts of working in a small community. Knowing patients’ medical and personal circumstances helps the doctors plan care, manage chronic conditions and support patients during hospital stays and discharge.
The practice’s accessibility also means patients can often receive an appointment on the same day or within two to three days. Dr Davies believes this helps reduce avoidable hospital presentations, particularly after hours.
Their commitment to the community recently earned Dr Davies and Dr John the Rural Doctor of the Year Award from the Rural Doctors Association Tasmania.
The award recognised their dedication to improving access to healthcare and supporting rural and Aboriginal communities.
Both doctors also help train the next generation of GPs by supervising medical students and registrars. Dr John says working on Flinders Island gives trainees the opportunity to experience broad rural general practice and understand the value of long-term patient relationships.
For the pair, rural medicine offers a unique combination of clinical variety, community connection and the opportunity to provide care across a patient’s entire health journey.
Life on Flinders Island: Rural GPs delivering care beyond the clinic
Source: RACGP newsGP