On March 15, 2024, a group of General Practitioners (GPs) from South Australia visited the South Australian Parliament to address the pressing workforce challenges facing the state’s healthcare system. This initiative, led by representatives of the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP), aimed to advocate for measures that would enhance the GP workforce and improve access to medical care for all South Australians.
The five specialist GPs conducted quick health checks for Members of Parliament, including blood pressure assessments and evaluations of diabetes risk. Their presence served to highlight the importance of regular access to a GP for every South Australian citizen.
Addressing Workforce Challenges
During the event, Dr. Siân Goodson, the Chair of RACGP SA, discussed the challenges South Australia faces in expanding its GP workforce. She emphasized the potential to attract more specialist GPs to both urban and rural communities. “As someone who settled in South Australia after training in the UK, I can see there are opportunities to attract the specialist GPs we need,” she stated.
Dr. Goodson noted significant progress in training new GPs, with 114 junior doctors commencing specialist GP training in 2025, marking a 34% increase from 2024. Additionally, the number of those training on a rural pathway has surged by 60%, indicating a positive trend in addressing healthcare needs in less accessible areas.
Despite these advancements, South Australia still lags behind states like Queensland and New South Wales, which attract twice as many future GPs per capita through the RACGP’s Fellowship Support Program. This program enables overseas-trained doctors to fund their GP training, and Dr. Goodson proposed that providing $40,000 grants to offset costs could incentivize these doctors to relocate and train in South Australia.
Improving Access to Care
Dr. Goodson also highlighted the need to enhance access to non-urgent, routine general practice care outside traditional hours. She argued that everyday preventive care is essential for keeping individuals out of hospitals in the long run. “Too many people miss opportunities for non-urgent and preventive care because they can’t see a GP on weekdays,” she explained.
To address this issue, she suggested that a modest investment of $150,000 per practice per year could enable more GPs to provide after-hours services, extending care until 20:00 on weekdays and on Sunday mornings. This approach promises to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for patients who may struggle to attend appointments during standard hours.
Furthermore, the proposed Metro to Rural Practice Program aims to facilitate better access to general practice care in rural and remote communities. This initiative would involve funding metropolitan GPs to train in rural medicine, fostering a regular schedule in these areas. By doing so, rural GPs would be better supported during periods of leave, reducing burnout and ensuring continuity of care for their patients.
Dr. Goodson remarked, “People living in our rural and remote communities often experience poorer health partly because they cannot easily access a regular GP.” The program is designed to replace temporary locum work with consistent care, benefitting both GPs from the city and patients in rural areas.
By establishing long-term patient-GP relationships, both parties stand to gain. GPs can acquire valuable experience in diverse settings, while patients receive consistent care from a physician who understands their medical history.
As South Australia looks to strengthen its healthcare framework, these proposals from the GPs underscore a commitment to improving access to quality care for all residents, particularly those in underserved areas. The collaborative efforts between healthcare professionals and policymakers are crucial for a healthier future for South Australians.
