More GP training places confirmed - will they plug the gaps?

As promised in the 2025/26 federal budget, additional Commonwealth supported places (CSP) would be funded to address the country's growing need for more GPs.

In 2026 an additional 100 places were funded as part of the $30 million investment announced in the budget, increasing to 150 from 2028.

This week the federal government announced the universities which had been successful in securing their share of an additional 50 funded places in 2028. Among the eight universities were UWA and the University of Notre Dame.

But while the additional funded places were welcome, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) said it must be matched with measures to encourage future doctors to choose rural careers.

President Dr Rod Martin said growing the medical workforce required investment across the entire rural training pipeline and simply increasing university places was not enough.

“If we want more doctors in rural and remote communities, we need to ensure students have meaningful rural training experiences, access to high-quality Rural Generalist pathways and the support they need to build their careers where they are needed most,” he said.

“We know that high-quality rural placements are one of the strongest predictors of where a doctor will eventually choose to practise.

"Recent reforms extending Commonwealth Prac Payments to allied health students recognise that the cost of undertaking rural placements can be a significant barrier.

“Medical students should also be included. No student should have to turn down a rural placement because they can't afford the travel, accommodation or time away from paid work.”

Last month Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the Commonwealth Prac Payment would be expanded to an additional 10 key front line health workers to help support cost of living relief for students, but medical students were notably absent from the list.

Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand also welcomed the investment but highlighted a need for an increase to the Primary Care (Teaching) Payment to better support general practices offering training support to medical students.

It also called for the payment to be extended to include the multidisciplinary teams within general practices – including nurses and allied health professionals, as well as GPs.

Chief executive Anita Hobson-Powell said hands-on exposure to rural settings was one of the strongest predictors of where graduates will choose to work, adding that the design of the new training places as just as important as the number.

“The data is clear: meaningful time spent training in general practice and in rural and regional settings makes a real difference to where our future doctors choose to work.

“These students have consistently indicated a preference to go on and practise in the areas where they are most needed.”

In a statement the federal government said the additional CSPs were spread across universities that had demonstrated they would focus on primary care training with greater rotations in general practice to help address GP shortfalls in rural and underserved areas.

Minister for Education Jason Clare said: “We want more young Australians to become doctors, and more of them to become GPs.

“More places mean more opportunity for young people and more doctors for communities that need them.”