The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has boosted the number of future GPs training in Western Australia in 2025 by 31%, to 194.
This increase exceeds the national 19.8% growth in junior doctors training as GPs, bolstered by 67% growth in the number of registrars training as specialist GPs on a rural pathway.
But Western Australians face a unique challenge in accessing GPs, with approximately 15% fewer GPs per person compared to Victoria and NSW.
RACGP WA Chair Dr Ramya Raman called on the state government to take action.
"While this is a record training result for Western Australia, our communities need state government investment to catch up to where we need to be to keep all of our patients healthy," she said.
"There was an immediate boost in the number of GPs training in Victoria after it offered a $40,000 incentive to ensure that when doctors leave the hospital system to start training as a specialist GP, so they're not worse off financially.
"The Western Australian Government needs to consider offering incentives to strengthen general practice access and prevent the number of GPs in our state from falling further behind our population growth. This is an opportunity to meet the needs of our growing community.
"Research has shown GPs keep people out of expensive hospitals. Where someone's had an unplanned hospitalisation, they're far less likely to end up back in hospital if they see their GP within a week. GPs are the solution.
"The WA health department's Fair share for WA health report identified our low number of GPs per capita as one of the key drivers of the cost of our hospitals.
"The GP training grants program in Victoria has been transformative, with almost half of grant recipients saying the relatively minor investment led them to train as GPs. It's a proven and cost-efficient way to get more GPs into our communities."
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.
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