COMMUNITIES across Australia will benefit from a major boost to general practice training, with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) set to deliver more GPs under a $751.3 million, five-year Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) grant.
The historic funding will improve access to primary healthcare in metropolitan, regional, rural, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, supporting Australians to build long-term relationships with a GP who knows them.
Local doctor and Chair of RACGP Queensland, Dr Cath Hester, welcomed the investment and acknowledged the work of the Federal Government and local Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann, in supporting the training of more Specialist GPs.
“This $751 million, five-year contract is the largest and longest training contract ever awarded to a specialist college,” Dr Hester said.
“This is a vote of confidence, and it reflects the RACGP’s world-class reputation for delivering high-quality Specialist GP training and providing the GP workforce communities need, especially in rural and regional areas.
“I am anticipating a boost to GP availability throughout the West Moreton region, as around 50 per cent of doctors training to be Specialist GPs will undertake their training in regional and rural areas, including Ipswich, Esk and surrounding communities.”
Dr Hester completed her Specialist GP training in Ipswich, at Ipswich Hospital and Grange Road Medical Centre.
“Ipswich is a great place to train as a doctor, and a great place to work as a GP,” she said.
Federal Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann, said the Albanese Government’s $1 billion investment in GP training would deliver more doctors to more communities.
“The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners will receive $751.3 million and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine will receive $331.7 million to deliver the program from January 2026 to December 2030,” Mr Neumann said.
“These historic five-year grant agreements will support the continued growth of Australia’s GP and Rural Generalist workforce in the years to come.
“At least 50 per cent of training will be undertaken in rural and regional areas, and I would expect rural parts of Ipswich and the Somerset Region to benefit from this investment.
“This investment backs more doctors to train, stay and practise in regional communities that have long needed them.
“In 2026, a record 2,100 offers are expected to be made to junior doctors to begin Government-funded GP training because of these investments.”
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the agreement reflected strong government confidence in the College’s ability to deliver high-quality GP training nationwide.
