Much of a GP’s Work Goes Unseen and Unpaid
19 Feb 2026
Non-Patient-Facing Work Makes Up a Big Part of a GP’s Day
Research by the New Zealand College of General Practitioners (NZCGP) looked at 566 GPs and found that 56% of their time is spent with patients, while 31% is on non-patient-facing clinical tasks. The rest of the day goes to training and education (7%), clinical governance (3%), and running the practice (4%).
If a GP worked 40 hours a week, this would roughly be:
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22 hours on patient consultations
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12 hours on non-contact clinical tasks
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3 hours on education and training
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2 hours on practice management
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1 hour on clinical governance
Why This Matters
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright says the study highlights a problem in Australia too: “Unless the patient is sitting in front of you, much of the work we do isn’t recognised or funded.”
Dr Wright points out that administrative tasks, paperwork, and clinical work outside consultations take GPs away from direct patient care, contributing to burnout.
A recent poll of over 1,600 GPs found that 40% feel burnout comes from not feeling their work is valued, while 30% cite administrative burdens.
Burnout Risk is High Across the Country
A Queensland Health survey of 2,000 doctors, including many in rural and regional areas, found that almost half were at risk of burnout. Dr Catherine McDougall, Queensland Chief Medical Officer, said the risk is higher outside metro areas but affects the medical workforce nationwide.
The study and survey underline that non-patient-facing work is a vital part of general practice, but it often goes unrecognised, unfunded, and contributes to workforce pressures.
https://www1.racgp.org.au/
Source: RACGP / newsGP – February 2026