Almost one third of GPs witnessed racism towards patients in the health system in the past year, according to the RACGP's 2025 Health of the Nation report.
The nationwide survey of more than 2400 RACGP members also found that around two in 10 GPs personally experienced racism from a patient within their practice during that time, while one in 10 personally experienced racism from a colleague.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said these figures, along with separate statistics showing 30% of GPs have observed racism towards patients in the broader health system, are symptoms of a larger systemic issue.
"Racism in the health system is an issue that affects healthcare workers and patients alike. It is not something we can ignore, and it is certainly not something that will fix itself," he said.
"These findings make it very clear that both action and resources are needed to tackle systemic racism in the health system, including general practice.
"The message is unmistakeable: Racism is bad for people's health, and patients and GPs must be protected from it."
Dr Wright said the RACGP has taken steps to address racism, such as implementing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and health training framework to support culturally safe care, but called for wider action to eliminate racism across the health system.
"It is time for a comprehensive response to tackling systemic racism in the health system, including establishing a taskforce to implement recommendations from the National Anti-Racism Framework," he said.
"We all have a role to play in understanding the impacts of systemic racism in health.
"That's why we've called on the Government to fund resources to monitor, measure, and prevent racism in primary care, including general practices. Racism is complex, multifaceted, and to many people, invisible. You can't address racism until you can measure how prevalent it is, how it affects patients and general practice team members, and monitor which actions and strategies help eliminate it.
"It's a relatively minor investment with major potential to provide important insights, and help create healthcare environments that are culturally safe, where GPs and practice teams can identify and address racism with confidence.
"Racism makes people sick. It has significant health impacts, causing stress and contributing to poorer outcomes across a range of conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and psychological distress. Racism can also prevent people from seeking the care they need.
"No one should be at risk of discrimination when seeking healthcare and no GP should be made to feel unsafe in their own workplace.
"We need to co-design health policy with patients and healthcare providers from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds, and implement meaningful reform to ensure our health system is safe for everyone in Australia."
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