Urgent calls to address Australia's GP shortfall amid rising demand

Doctors are calling for urgent action to address GP shortages across the country, with the gap only set to widen amid surging demand.

A workforce report from The Department of Health and Aged Care showed Australia is currently facing a shortage of 2460 full-time GPs.

The report predicted the figure is set to double with national shortages forecast to grow to 5560 by 2033.

The Australian Medical Association said the data reinforced the need for urgent intervention from the government.

“We need to rebuild the GP workforce, which must start with training more GPs and supporting them to work in areas of need,” said AMA President Steven Robson.

“This requires a comprehensive policy approach that starts with medical school and expanded access to clinical placements in general practice.

“There needs to be greater opportunities for doctors to experience general practice early in their career and policy that ensures the number of GP training places each year is based on community need.”

Robson said addressing pay parity between GP trainees and their hospital counterparts was key to encouraging more doctors to enter the general practice workforce.

“Long-term solutions to improve access to GP-led care for patients, including in rural and remote areas that have been hardest hit by workforce shortages are needed,” Robson said.

“Training more GPs will require more financial and operational support for general practices and supervisors to train the next generation of GPs and provide medical students and doctors in training with positive experiences.

“General practice is a fantastic specialty that is the backbone of our health system.

“Now is the time for bold policy measures to strengthen our GP workforce and ensure Australians can continue to access the high quality and cost-effective care that general practice has a long history of providing.”