> Resources and Publications > PHC RIS infonet > December 2007 > Changing the fact of the primary health care workforce?

Changing the face of the primary health care workforce?

In 2005-06, a reported 22 564 GPs practised in Australia.¹ Whilst this was an increase on previous years (see Figure), it is also known that the hours worked by the GP workforce have declined for both males and females. With the proportion of female GPs on the rise, and females traditionally working fewer hours, strain on the workforce will continue to increase.^2,3

Long-term solutions include higher intake of medical students in universities. Other strategies also have short-term benefits. International medical graduates now provide a third of GP Medicare services. Medicare funding is also now available for allied health professionals and nurses to provide some services that previously were only available through GPs or medically trained specialists.

There are no definitive answers regarding appropriate number of GPs, number of GPs per population or appropriate workload for GPs, and international comparisons are limited by the different primary health care systems in each country.⁴ In an era where work-life balance is important, sharing the workload with other health professions is also likely to benefit the recruitment and retention of both urban and rural GPs.

Source: Fast Facts: GP numbers in Australia 1999-2006 <www.phcris.org.au/fastfacts/>

1. Hordacre, A.-L., et al., Making a difference. Report of the 2005-2006 Annual Survey of Divisions of General Practice. 2007, Primary Health Care Research & Information Service, Department of General Practice, Flinders University, and Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing: Adelaide.
2. Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, Medical labour force 2004. 2006, AIHW: Canberra.
3. Joyce, C.M., J.J. McNeil, and J.U. Stoelwinder, More doctors, but not enough: Australian medical workforce supply 2001-2012. MJA, 2006. 184(9): p. 441-446.
4. McDonald, J., et al., Systematic review of comprehensive primary health care models . 2006, Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute: Canberra.