New GP training numbers show general practice is recovering slightly in the ACT, but a lack of investment means the state is still underperforming compared to the rest of the country, the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) says.
In 2025, 23 future specialist GPs are commencing training in the RACGP's Murrumbidgee and ACT region out of 52 funded training spots – a 44% fill rate.
Currently, there are 23% fewer GPs per person in Canberra than Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane. Both Darwin and Hobart have more, making Canberra the Australian capital with the fewest GPs per person.
RACGP NSW&ACT Chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman said: "There are fewer specialist GPs per person in our national capital than in any other capital city in Australia, far fewer per person than in Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne.
"We applauded ACT Labor for some initiatives to grow their GPs workforce, but they need to secure their constituents' future GPs.
"To get more GPs in Canberra, we need to train more GPs in Canberra. Nationally, there's been around 20% growth in the number of specialist GPs in training, but the ACT has fallen well behind where it needs to be.
"With an ageing population and a growing chronic disease burden, the way to keep people in the ACT healthy and reduce pressure on our hospitals is to ensure there are enough GPs
"The RACGP has solutions to grow the workforce, and we know incentives for GPs in training work. Victoria saw a boost in GPs in training after offering an incentive to bridge the wage gap between hospital-based doctors and GPs training in the community – we want the ACT to match this.
"GPs in training see patients under the supervision of an expert GP, and are more likely to stay where they've trained, so more trainees means improved access both now and in the future."
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright called on all federal parties to commit to ensuring access to affordable GP care for Australians in the leadup to the Federal Election.
"The RACGP has a plan to ensure high-quality general practice care is accessible and affordable for all Australians," he said.
"We've shown we can train more GPs, and with Australia's growing and ageing population, and an epidemic of chronic illness, we need to increase the number we're training to meet the need for care.
"We're calling for funding to train an extra 1500 specialist GPs over the next five years. This will help ensure everyone has access to a GP who knows them and their history. That will keep people healthy and well in their community and take the pressure off the stretched hospital system.
"Patients are paying more to see a GP in a cost of living crisis because Medicare investment hasn't kept up with inflation, so patients' Medicare funding no longer covers the costs of providing care. That's also reduced the appeal of training as a specialist GP.
"With significant investment in Medicare, we can increase bulk billing and reduce out-of-pocket costs for people who aren't being bulk billed. Both these things are crucial."
The RACGP is calling on all parties to invest in a significant boost to patients' Medicare funding, and:
- Fund 1500 more RACGP Australian GP Training places over the next five years.
- Link Government-subsidised medical places at universities to a target of 50% of graduates training as GPs.
This comes after the Health of the Nation report showed improvements in GP job satisfaction, particularly among GPs under 35, and that more GPs would recommend general practice as a career.
Specialist GPs training with the RACGP also reported higher satisfaction than other specialists in training, with 84% saying they would recommend it to others and 78% agreeing they have a good work-life balance, compared to 65% in other specialist training programs.
~
