The 2026–27 ACT Budget’s $14.1 million investment in wellbeing and career development for junior doctors has been welcomed by the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP), but the College has warned against missing opportunities to grow the capital’s GP workforce.
Earlier this year, the College flagged several targeted, strategic investments that could deliver outsized benefits across Canberra’s entire health system, but RACGP NSW&ACT Chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman said it’s too soon to say if the 2026–27 Budget features the kind of funding that will grow the capital’s GP workforce.
“There’s not a lot in the Budget for general practice, but given the workforce needs in Canberra and the pressure junior doctors have felt here, any ACT Government investment in doctors’ wellbeing is welcome,” she said.
“It was really positive to see the expansion of autism spectrum disorder assessment services, as well as free abortion services for those who need them.
“We’ll be seeking greater clarity on whether this budget provides greater assistance for GP training supervision and exam support with health minster Rachel Stephen-Smith this week.”
Dr Hoffman said the fundamental challenge in the ACT’s health system is that Canberra’s population growth has outpaced the growth of its general practice workforce.
“There aren’t just fewer GPs per person in Canberra than Sydney or Melbourne, there are fewer than in Hobart or Perth,” she said.
“Canberra’s had strong population growth for the last decade, and anyone who’s moved to Canberra or seen its growth can tell you access to general practice hasn’t kept up. The result is too many missed opportunities for general practice care that keeps people healthy in the community.”
The metropolitan area in the ACT – Canberra itself – has around 89 GPs per 100,000 people according to federal data, versus around 116 in metropolitan NSW, 117 in Victoria, and 97 in WA. The areas in and around Hobart and Launceston in Tasmania have 109 GPs per 100,000 people.
“We’re training a record 29 GPs in the ACT this year, 26% more than in 2025, but the availability of supervisors can limit opportunities for growth,” Dr Hoffman said.
“The best way to get more GPs in the ACT is to ensure it’s seen as a great place to train as a specialist GP, with opportunities for supervision, incentives to sit your exams here, and opportunities for a rewarding general practice career.”
Dr Hoffman said the RACGP will explore other ways for GPs to take stress off Canberra hospitals during meetings with the ACT Government this week.
“It’s no secret Canberra has challenges, especially in its health system, and having enough GPs is part of that,” she said
“Well-supported GPs are part of the solution. Where specialist GPs can do what we do best, the whole system benefits.
“GPs with extra training and experience embedded in hospitals, GPs with Special Interests and GP Liaison Officers, can also reduce unnecessary outpatient referrals, improve discharge pathways, strengthen clinical communication and support community-based management of chronic and complex conditions.
“Funding GPs to stay open after hours will help their patients access care, especially non-urgent care for those who can’t attend during the day. Missing opportunities for care because you can’t get to the GP during the day catches up with people, and too often it’s just a matter of time before missed care becomes the need for more-expensive urgent care or an emergency department.
“Patients would also benefit from being able to access vaccinations for free. While Canberra has high uptake generally, every severe flu case that sends someone to emergency is extra strain on ACT hospitals. Canberra families should be able to access free nasal flu vaccines, as they can in NSW, as well as RSV for seniors, which still results in too many hospitalisations.”
The RACGP’s ACT Pre-Budget Submission initiatives included:
- supporting Fellowship exam fee affordability to grow the GP workforce
- investing in GP supervision to train and retain Canberra’s future GPs
- strengthening after‑hours general practice to relieve pressure on overcrowded EDs
- commissioning an Independent Review of Nurse-led Walk-in Centres
- embedding GPs in Canberra’s hospital system to reduce waiting lists
- expanding free flu, RSV, and meningococcal B vaccination programs.