The RACGP has put forward a plan focussed on attracting, training and retaining more GPs to ensure every Australian can access a GP when they need to. Government has listened and we’ve achieved many of our advocacy goals in this space.

In response to our advocacy, both major parties backed many of our initiatives to grow the specialist GP workforce faster. In the most recent Federal Budget, the government has committed to the following measures:

• $265.4 million to expand GP training to deliver 200 new general practitioner training places each year from 2026, increasing to 400 from 2028.
• $248.7 million for salary incentives for junior doctors to specialise in general practice, and to provide paid parental leave and study leave for trainee GPs.
• $44.0 million for an extra 200 rotations for junior doctors in primary health care per year from 2026, increasing to an extra 400 per year from 2028.
• $45.0 million for 100 new medical Commonwealth Supported Places per year from 2026, increasing to 150 per year from 2028.
• $3.2 million to uncap the number of medical Commonwealth Supported Places for First Nations students from 2026.