Rural GP Workforce Growing, But Pressure Remains
05 Dec 2025
More doctors are choosing to work in rural and regional Queensland, according to the Health Workforce Queensland (HWQ) 2024–25 report, signaling positive progress after years of shortages in the bush. Yet patient demand continues to exceed available GP services.
The report examines GPs in Modified Monash (MM) 2–7 areas, including private practices, small hospitals, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Key insights from the report:
- GP numbers in rural and regional areas have grown by 8% over the past five years.
- Practitioners report better wellbeing than two years ago, though barriers to mental health support remain, including workforce shortages, privacy concerns, and costs.
- Despite growth, demand still outpaces supply, with the overall GP workforce gap increasing 16% since 2020.
- GPs in remote and very remote areas are less likely to report private general practice as their main role, showing a 5.3% decline.
- Retention challenges persist, with nearly one-third of GPs intending to stay less than three years in their current location.
RACGP Rural Chair Associate Professor Michael Clements said the trends are encouraging:
"Across northwest Queensland, the shortage we felt a few years ago has eased. More doctors are moving into regional communities, which is a very positive development."
While this report focuses on Queensland, similar patterns are being observed across other rural regions in Australia, highlighting progress in recruitment but ongoing pressure on rural health services.
News Source: RACGP
