Latest information on medical workforce shortages

New Medicare workforce statistics, released by Health Minister Nicola Roxon, confirm the importance of recent Government investments in the GP workforce.

The GP workforce is rapidly getting older, with the proportion of full-time workload equivalent (FWE) GPs aged over 45 increasing from 59.6% in 2000-01 to 70.8% in 2007-08.

While the number of FWE GPs increased slightly, there are still fewer GPs available outside cities – with 80 GPs per 100,000 population in rural and remote areas, compared to 90 per 100,000 in urban areas.

Increasingly, Australia’s GPs are being trained overseas, particularly those who work in rural and remote areas.

Overseas-trained doctors made up 43.5% of rural and remote FWE GPs in 2007-08, compared to 27.6% in 2000-01.

The Minister said the figures showed “just how important it is to invest in training the next generation of GPs, and supporting them to work in rural and regional areas.

“That is why the Government is investing $1.1 billion in training more doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, including:

* Increasing GP training places by over 200, boosting the total number of GP training places to more than 800 from 2011 onwards
* Investing $175 million in capital infrastructure to expand teaching and training, especially at major regional hospitals to improve clinical training in rural Australia.

“The Government is also investing $275 million in 31 GP Super Clinics, to attract young graduates to areas of workforce shortage, and conducting a review of all rural health programs.

These investments recognise that students who train in rural areas are more likely to practice in rural Australia.”