The health of Australian GPs and the health of the nation
Australia ranked 9 out of 10 for access to healthcare in the recent Commonwealth Fund report
Australia ranks 9th out of 10 high-income countries for healthcare access, despite ranking 1st in health outcomes in a report released by the Commonwealth Fund. The RACGP's 2024 Health of the Nation report highlights growing pressures on the system.
Issues facing Australian GPs:
Financial pressures
Rising out-of-pocket costs for patients
Practice viability threatened by inflation
System strain
Limited access to affordable mental health and specialist care putting strain on GPs
Longer hospital wait times pushing complex care to GPs
Increased emergency department presentations
Administrative burden reducing patient care time
System fragmentation and poor hospital-GP communication
Workforce sustainability
Nearly 1/3 of GPs to retire within 5 years
Only 10% of medical students interested in GP career
Burnout affecting healthcare professionals
Figure 1. FTE GPs per 100,000 people by state/territory
From GPs:
“Mental health continues to be a terrifying concern. Patients are unable to access the psychiatric care they need and GPs are left without advice and support. GPs are providing consistent, accessible care for patients which (although I enjoy) is time consuming and poorly remunerated. GPs continue to be undervalued in this area.”
“Increasing complexity and higher rates of financial stress amongst patients, plus just not enough GPs with shortages everywhere so that we are always trying to catch up or fix issues that have been 'bandaided' elsewhere.”
“The biggest pressure at the moment is the inability for patients to afford medications, allied healthcare or mental health input”
Policy recommendations (RACGP):
Increase MBS rebates to match inflation
Continue investment in targeted GP workforce planning
Improve hospital-GP communication
Review urgent care models’ effectiveness
Invest in innovation to reduce administrative burden and improve work satisfaction