Ochre was born in the bush. Our story began in 2002, when GP proceduralist Dr Hamish Meldrum (GP Obstetrician) and Dr Ross Lamplugh (GP Anaesthetist) worked in the quintessential NSW outback town of Bourke. Challenged by the need for quality locum doctors in rural Australia, Ross and Hamish established ‘Australian Outback Locums’, promoting the family-friendly, outback Australian lifestyle to like-minded and capable doctors.
Today, Ochre Health is a leading service provider of healthcare to rural, regional and urban communities around Australia. We operate a network of 70+ medical centres across five states and territories and we are a service provider to more than 450+ doctors. We also work with hospitals and medical practices throughout Australia and New Zealand to source and place locum and permanent doctors across a wide range of specialties.
Improving healthcare across Australia’s very disparate environments remains an enduring passion for Ross and Hamish, who based their approach on three simple principles:
Hamish is a co-founding owner and Director of the Ochre Health Group. He is a New Zealand medical graduate with extensive experience across General Practice, Emergency Medicine and Obstetrics. He worked in the NSW Outback town of Bourke for five years as a GP Obstetrician, founding Ochre Health there with Dr Ross Lamplugh in 2002, before moving to Sydney in 2006. Hamish was Ochre’s Director of Medical Services until 2020, responsible for leading clinical governance, quality improvement and the company’s patient health outcomes program. In addition to his current board role, he is involved in providing clinical support for doctors across the Group and he chairs our Innovation Committee, focusing on developing and implementing innovations that improve patient care and practice operations as well as advancing the company’s market leadership in general practice. He is also a regular author, commentator and conference presenter on issues affecting the primary care sector, and he is an examiner for the RACGP Fellowship examination program.
Ross is a co-founding owner and former Chair of the Ochre Health Group. He brings 30+ years of clinical and medical management experience to the company, including 10 years as a GP Anaesthetist in rural and remote Australian communities. Prior to founding Ochre in 2002, his clinical roles included Medical Superintendent of Palm Island Hospital and Deputy Director of Medical Services at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Ross is actively involved in medical education as a voluntary Director of Advanced Paediatric Life Support Australia, whose courses aim to improve the early management of acutely ill and injured children. He is a Director of Tasmanian Leaders Inc, the premier leadership development organisation in the state, and a former Director of the NSW Rural Doctors Network, General Practice Training Tasmania and other not-for-profit organisations. He has also been a member of the Rural and Remote Generalist Project Advisory Group to Health Workforce Australia (HWA), the Commonwealth authority delivering a coordinated national approach to health workforce reform. Ross works closely with our board and leadership team on strategic direction, growth opportunities, board governance and management performance.
General practitioners (GPs) are primary healthcare providers responsible for diagnosing, treating, and managing a wide range of medical conditions. Their duties include conducting patient consultations, performing physical examinations, and ordering diagnostic tests. GPs diagnose and treat acute and chronic illnesses, provide preventive care, and make referrals to specialists when necessary. They play a vital role in chronic disease management, offer vaccinations, and promote healthy lifestyle choices. GPs also educate patients about their health conditions, maintain medical records, and facilitate continuity of care.
A number of Ochre sites also provide VMO services. A GP VMO is a General Practitioner who, in addition to their general practice work, also provides medical support to the local public hospital as a “Visiting Medical Officer” or VMO. This is especially common in regional or remote areas where access to specialised care may be limited. Working as a GP VMO in rural practice provides a diverse and interesting array of medicine you just won’t find in urban or regional settings.
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