New research led by UCRH researchers has highlighted the lasting effects of catastrophic flooding on rural health systems, communities and medical education.
Published in BMC Health Services Research, the study explored the perspectives of medical students undertaking rural clinical placements in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, more than a year after the 2022 floods. Rather than focusing on the immediate emergency response, the research examined how flooding continues to shape health service delivery and community wellbeing long after the event.
Through interviews and focus groups with students living and training in the region, the study identified ongoing impacts across four key areas: community, health services, clinicians, and the broader social and physical environment. Students described widespread psychological trauma, disrupted health services, workforce shortages and delays in patient discharge, alongside housing insecurity and displacement that limited access to care and affected broader health outcomes.
Students also observed significant psychological impacts on healthcare workers, including burnout, with flow on effects for service delivery and the quality of medical education. The floods were found to disproportionately affect socially vulnerable groups, with delays in government housing support contributing to ongoing stress within affected communities.
By centring student perspectives and refining the analysis with input from clinicians working in the region during and after the floods, the research provides a grounded view of how climate related disasters affect rural health systems over time. The findings highlight the importance of supporting medical students to reflect on these experiences, while contributing evidence to inform future research, preparedness planning and workforce development in rural and regional health.
