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Chapter 1: Patient interactions and health trends in general practice

Reasons people are seeing their GP

The past year has shown little change in the most common reasons for people seeing their GP. In 2024, 71% of GPs report psychological issues in their top three reasons for presentations. Since the first Health of the Nation survey in 2017, GPs have consistently reported the most common health issues they support patients to manage are psychological.3 

As noted in last year's report, the nature of health conditions that GPs most commonly manage has fluctuated since 2017, which can also in part be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, there was a spike in respiratory and preventive care and a decrease in other chronic disease care. Compared with last year, the most common reasons for patient presentations have remained relatively consistent. 

Figure 2. Psychological factors are the main reason for presentations

Psychological factors are the main reason for GP presentations

Measure: Proportion of GP responses to the question, ‘When thinking about your patients overall, what are the three most common reasons for patient presentations?’ by year. 
Sample: Practising GPs 2017 n=1309, 2018 n=1537, 2019 n=1174, 2020 n=1782, 2021 n=1386, 2022 n=3221, 2023 n=2050, 2024 n=3006. 
Source: The Navigators, RACGP Health of the Nation survey April/May 2024. 

GP INSIGHTS
‘Mental health continues to be a terrifying concern. Patients are unable to access the psychiatric care they need and GPs are left without advice and support. GPs are providing consistent, accessible care for patients which (although I enjoy) is time consuming and poorly remunerated. GPs continue to be undervalued in this area.’
‘Patients are more and more likely to have multiple health issues. They are becoming more and more complex. More and more are not able to afford to see specialists privately and allied health privately. The waitlist for the hospital clinics are becoming longer and longer. Hence GPs are left to manage the multiple complicated conditions until they are able to see the specialists.’

 

Female GPs continue to report greater psychological presentations, with nearly eight in 10 female GPs reporting psychological issues as one of their top three reasons for patient presentations. This is in contrast to just over six in 10 male GPs. Female GPs also see a much greater incidence of women’s health presentations in their top three reasons for patient presentations (52%) compared to male GPs (3%). Male GPs report a greater proportion of musculoskeletal, respiratory, circulatory and skin presentations among their top three reasons for seeing patients (Figure 3). 

Figure 3. Female GPs see more psychological presentations

Female GPs see more psychological presentations

Measure: Proportion of GP responses to the question, ‘When thinking about your patients overall, what are the three most common reasons for patient presentations?’ by gender.  
Sample: Practising male GPs n=1282, female GPs n=1687. 
Source: The Navigators, RACGP Health of the Nation survey April/May 2024. 

GP INSIGHT‘My patient group are now predominantly young people with serious mental health issues and histories of trauma and socioeconomic disadvantage. I am concerned about the lack of secondary mental health services available, and the lack of affordable mental health care for patients on low incomes.’
  • 3. The Navigators. RACGP Health of the Nation survey. 2024.