Even though there are more female GPs than male GPs for the first time in Australian history*, there is still a shortage of GPs.
The bottom line is there is still a shortage of GPs
The facts of the GP workforce situation remain the same:
- In our recent GP survey, only 50% of the female GPs surveyed worked full time. Since the survey was conducted, we have increasingly been contacted by female GPs who are only looking to work 1-4 sessions per week so we believe this proportion is rising.
- We have also seen the number of male GPs working part time rise significantly.
- A third of Australia’s GPs are over the age of 55, meaning they are starting to scale back their hours or preparing to retire. 68% of these GPs working Full time, 5-7 days per week.
- Australian Registrars are generally searching for part time hours or splitting their time between multiple clinics
What does this mean?
While we love the fact that there are more female GPs in the industry, our GP workforce on a whole is becoming increasingly part time. This means that the gap left by the over 55’s will not be so easy to fill. The statistics on the GP workforce may look good, but they will continue to worsen creating more of a shortage of GPs than we have in the present climate.
More needs to be done to address the reality of the GP workforce in the years to come. At Alecto Australia, we constantly consider workforce predictions and advocate for the truth against stories of a GP oversupply. We will continue to advocate the need for specialist overseas trained GPs, particularly those from the UK, who are needed to keep up with the demands on the Australia healthcare system.