New GP training numbers show general practice is recovering in South Australia, but the job of securing the future of patient care is far from done, the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has said.
In 2025, 114 junior doctors are commencing training as specialist GPs in South Australia – a 34% increase on 2024. This includes 60% more GPs training on a rural pathway and delivering vital healthcare to the state's rural and remote areas.
RACGP South Australia Chair Dr Siân Goodson urged the state government to build on this momentum.
"The increase in GP training numbers in South Australia is very positive news," she said.
"But more must be done to ensure patients in every community have access to general practice care well into the future. We can and should build from here.
"We have an ageing population and an epidemic of chronic illnesses which require general practice care – 1.5 million people in our state are living with at least one long-term condition, and ambulance ramping is a persistent challenge.
"GPs are the solution. Studies consistently show patients who see the same GP are healthier and live longer. GPs also reduce preventable hospitalisations. There's no substitute for the care a GP who knows you and your history."
Dr Goodson said the state can do more to grow its GP workforce by funding overseas-educated doctors to train as GPs in South Australia via the RACGP's Fellowship Support Program (FSP), and overseas GPs to qualify for registration as specialist GPs in Australia via the Practice Experience Program Specialist program.
Only 34 doctors who gained their medical degrees overseas are training to be GPs via the FSP in South Australia, compared to 286 in NSW, 250 in Victoria, and 217 in Queensland – around twice as many per resident as SA.
"This is a missed opportunity to supplement our locally educated GP workforce," Dr Goodson said.
"Other states have benefited from overseas-educated doctors joining their workforce and training and working as GPs in their regions – South Australia should too. We can do this by supporting and incentivising doctors to train as GPs in rural and regional South Australia to meet our growing need for care.
"This is a call for investment in our health. If the SA Government funds this training, it will increase access to care in rural communities and reduce ambulance ramping and wait times at our hospitals.
"GPs are also more likely to stay where they've trained, so it'll expand access to general practice care in rural communities where GPs are most needed."
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 rebates, 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.
