Key Facts:
- 91% of GPs believe multidisciplinary team care improves patient outcomes, with 57% currently working in such arrangements
- Practice nurses (88%) and mental health professionals (51%) are the most common health professionals in multidisciplinary care teams
- 79% of GPs report that patients value multidisciplinary care, with nearly two-thirds of GPs wanting to increase their participation in team-based care
- The RACGP is calling for increased government funding to support GP-led multidisciplinary team models, particularly in disadvantaged and rural areas
General practice care is changing to meet the needs of patients in Australia, with coordinated general practice-led multidisciplinary teams providing more comprehensive, patient centred care.
General practice multidisciplinary care teams can include a variety of health professionals, from allied health like podiatrists, physiotherapists, dietitians, nurses, and pharmacists, to diverse specialists, offering comprehensive care for patients with complex needs.
The 2025 Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) Health of the Nation report, set to be released on 7 October, has given a unique insight into the way multidisciplinary teams are shaping general practice.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said: "We know that well-resourced, general practice-led multidisciplinary teams can lead to improved patient health outcomes, and this is particularly important in an age where we are facing more chronic and complex health conditions.
"For example, if a patient is pregnant and has early signs of diabetes, being treated in a clinic where her GP's team includes a midwife or obstetrician, a credentialed diabetes educator, and a dietitian, they can work together to ensure her care is coordinated and supportive."
The Health of the Nation 2025 report revealed that:
- 91% of GPs agree multidisciplinary team care improves patient outcomes
- 57% of GPs are already working in multidisciplinary team care arrangements
- The percentage of GPs working in multidisciplinary care teams goes up significantly in remote [63%] or very remote [72%] settings throughout Australia, and in hospital settings at 79%.
- In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health settings 90% of GPs are working in multidisciplinary care teams
- The most common health professionals employed within GP-led multidisciplinary teams are practice nurses in 88% of teams, followed by psychologists or mental health professionals in 51% of teams.
"General practice is all about knowing patients and their histories and considering all aspects of their health; working in a multidisciplinary care team allows GPs to provide more patient-centred and holistic care for our patients," Dr Wright said.
"Patients also seem to be happy with this shift towards more coordinated care; 79% of GPs agreed that patients value the role of multidisciplinary care in their treatment.
"The report also highlighted that nearly two-thirds of GPs want to participate in more multidisciplinary team care. To do this they need funding and support to better meet patient needs, and almost half of GPs surveyed stated they would be interested in additional training on how to manage being in a multidisciplinary team more effectively.
"We are calling on the Government to fund and evaluate innovative GP-led multidisciplinary team models of care, particularly in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage and rural and remote areas.
"This would mean doubling the Workforce Incentive Program to accelerate the growth of multidisciplinary care in general practice and targeting additional Workforce Incentive Program funding to pharmacists working in general practice.
"Building a health system where everyone has access to a GP who knows them and their history, leading a diverse team of skilled healthcare professionals, will ensure all patients can access quality, coordinated care close to home."
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