The Albanese Government is investing more than $1 billion to train more doctors in more communities.
These historic five-year grant agreements will support the continued growth of Australia's GP and Rural Generalist workforce in the years to come.
This year is on track to overtake 2025 as the largest GP training cohort on record. An estimated 2,100 doctors will commence GP training in 2026. This includes Rural Generalist trainees, who are vital to serving the needs of rural communities.
This year's GP trainees start their training this month.
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) have signed up to continue delivering training through the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program.
The program addresses workforce shortages in non-metropolitan areas, with at least 50 per cent of training undertaken in rural and regional areas.
The RACGP will receive $751.3 million and the ACRRM will receive $331.7 million to deliver the program from January 2026 to December 2030.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"The Albanese Government has delivered a record number of GP training places and now we are growing the GP workforce in areas that need them most.
"This investment backs more doctors to train, stay and practise in communities that have long needed them.
"We are strengthening our Medicare system so Australians have access to high quality, timely and affordable health care where and when they need it."
Quotes attributable to RACGP President Dr Michael Wright:
"This is great news for general practice and for all Australians. Interest in becoming a GP has never been higher, and that's exactly what Australia needs.
"We thank the Government for expanding opportunities for the brightest Australian doctors to choose general practice as a career. Additional training places and targeted incentives are making a real difference.
"The RACGP now trains around 90% of Australia's specialist GPs, across our largest cities and in regional and rural communities right around the country.
"It is fantastic to see the Government's confidence in the RACGP to grow the scale of GP training. This means more doctors, more training capacity, and ultimately more communities with access to a GP who knows them and their history.
Quotes attributable to ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin:
"We are delighted by the five-year agreement. It gives us confidence about the future and allows us to continue to invest and build our specialist Rural Generalist and GP workforce for communities right across Australia.
"Expanding training places under a five-year contract sends a clear signal that rural, remote and First Nations communities matter.
"As the College dedicated exclusively to training Rural Generalist doctors to serve rural, remote and First Nations communities across Australia, we welcome the Federal Government's investment in the ACRRM Fellowship program as a critical health workforce reform.
"We know that doctors who train rurally are more likely to stay rurally, and this investment directly strengthens the pipeline needed to deliver fairer health outcomes, regardless of postcode."
