The bush capital is the latest jurisdiction to float the idea of paying GPs-in-training to keep them in the region.
A coalition of independents running for seats in the ACT’s Legislative Assembly has proposed paying 20 GP registrars $40,000 each to remain in the territory for the duration of their training.
If the proposal succeeds, ACT will be the third jurisdiction to offer bonus payments to GP registrars in what some fear is becoming an unhealthy bidding war.
RACGP NSW & ACT chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman urged the other parties to match the commitment before the 19 October election.
“The ACT is one of the worst places to be if you need to see a GP – it has the lowest number of GPs per person of any capital in Australia,” she said.
“For our national capital to have such poor access to essential healthcare is disgraceful.
“The RACGP applauds the Coalition of Independents support for incentives to attract GPs to train in the ACT and developing a co-designed retention and burnout strategy, so they stay.”
AMA ACT president Dr Kerrie Aust, meanwhile, was more cautious in her response.
“I’m pleased that the people running for this election are looking at what the options are to attract and retain GP registrars in the ACT,” she told The Medical Republic.
“I am a little bit concerned that we’re starting to get into this space where each jurisdiction is essentially competing for doctors.
“And I do think we really need to look at whether or not a national Commonwealth-led response might be more appropriate, because … we need to address the systemic issues [that cause] GPs to leave.”
Over the last two years, both Victoria and Queensland have announced similar programs.
Under the Victorian version, first-year GP registrars were eligible to receive a one-off $30,000 payment to offset the salary decline when moving from hospital-based training.
Queensland then upped the ante by announcing $40,000 payments, which would be split into two $15,000 payments at the end of the first and second training years, and a final $10,000 when they enrolled in their final exams.
The Victorian program was so successful that some doctors blamed it for draining regional NSW of registrars.
More than that though, GP Supervisors Australia CEO Carla Taylor told TMR, it led to “awkward” situations where two registrars might be at the same practice but one received the $30,000 payment and another didn’t.
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Dr Aust said there was a need to ensure that workforce distribution was done in an ethical and strategic way.
“I work in an urban centre, but what are the conditions for GP engagement in rural and remote locations?” she said.
“Are we making sure that we’re providing adequate support to doctors who are working in the communities in the country with the least support?
“It’s very easy for me as a city GP to say ‘yep, great, let’s attract everybody to Canberra’, but we also need to look at the bigger health picture and make sure that there’s equity across all jurisdictions in Australia.”
The ACT election is now just seven weeks away. Labor has been in power for six consecutive terms, but has been forced to form a coalition government with Greens members in recent years.
