Supporting your wellbeing

Hi all,

As we head into the holiday period, looking after your own health is just as important as caring for others.

The RACGP Wellbeing Hub is a one-stop space for trusted wellbeing resources, available to all RACGP members.

Find practical tools, tips, and guidance for:

• managing stress and workplace pressures
• navigating patient complaints and notifications
• financial and legal concerns
• career uncertainty and more

While primarily aimed at registrars, these resources are available to practice managers and may offer useful and supportive insights.

AGPT Placement and Practice Support Survey

The RACGP’s Evaluation, Quality and Research team invites practices to provide feedback on their experience with the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program through the annual Placement Survey, open until 5.00 pm (AEDT), Friday 19 December.

Keep an eye on your inbox for the survey invitation and take the opportunity to have your voice heard. Your responses are confidential and will help us continually improve the AGPT Program. The survey focuses on your experience with the placement process and related support for practices and should take around 10 minutes to complete.

Your feedback drives real change. Insights from previous surveys have helped streamline placement systems and improve AGPT program delivery. 

We promise this is the last survey of the year and greatly appreciate your time and energy in sharing your thoughts, helping us improve the AGPT Program for all.

If you have any questions, please contact evaluation@racgp.org.au.

MPN paperwork reminder

A reminder that the deadline for Medicare provider number (MPN) paperwork was Friday, 28 November. If your registrar hasn’t yet completed their paperwork, it must be done as a priority. They will still receive their MPN for 2026.1; however, it may not arrive before the semester begins. Please note that a registrar cannot commence work in practice until their MPN has been issued. 

For more information, please visit the MPN webpage. 

Supervisor stipend update

The RACGP recognises that professional development and networking for supervisors are essential to delivering quality general practice training. To support attendance at RACGP supervisor professional development (SPD) activities, eligible AGPT training sites receive a stipend each semester. 

If your practice is eligible this semester, the payment will be made to the account listed in your practice profile in the TMS. You’ll receive a remittance advice showing ‘S2/2025/Supervisor PD’. 

Please contact your training coordinator if you have any questions about the payment. 

New registrar incentive payments from 2026.1

The Australian Government has introduced three incentive payments for AGPT registrars available from 2026.1. These initiatives have successfully addressed some barriers to GP training, resulting in more applications in 2026 than there are places. This hasn’t happened for some years and is a positive outcome.  

From 2026.1, registrars may be eligible for the following incentive payments: 

Study leave incentive: Registrars can access an incentive for up to five days (FTE) per annum for exam preparation and professional development. For practices, this is leave without pay. Further details about this and the government incentives are included in the NTCER on the GPSA website.  

Parental leave incentive: Primary carers receive an incentive for up to 20 weeks (FTE); secondary carers receive up to two weeks, with payment made directly to registrars by Services Australia.  

Salary incentive: Registrars receive $5000 (FTE) monthly for their first six-month core training semester, paid in arrears. 

All payments are pro rata for part-time registrars. Registrars apply via the TMS and manage their own superannuation transfers and tax obligations. 
 
We’ll keep you informed as more details are provided by the Department of Health and Aged Care. 

Evidence in practice

Educational value of external clinical teaching visits 

Recently published research led by Dr Alison Fielding from the RACGP GP training research team explored the perceived educational value of external clinical teaching visits (ECTVs), delivered both face-to-face and remotely. The study analysed questionnaire responses from 801 registrars and 742 visitors following individual ECTVs undertaken in 2020. 

Registrars and visitors rated all types of ECTVs as highly educationally useful. There were no significant differences in perceived educational utility between face-to-face and remote (video/phone) ECTVs. The quality of feedback provided during the visit appears to be the most important contributor to registrar learning. 

Key implications for GP training: 

• The study reinforces ECTVs as a valuable workplace-based assessment within general practice training 
• A hybrid ECTV program, incorporating a mix of modalities and formats across training, may offer both educational and practical benefits 
• Strategies to optimise registrar learning from ECTVs may include: 
  • supporting visitors to provide feedback that is focused, specific, and easy to translate into action, and 
  • building registrars’ feedback literacy so they can better understand, interpret and use feedback effectively 

End-of-year RACGP shutdown period

RACGP offices will close at the end of Tuesday, 23 December 2025 and will reopen on Friday, 2 January 2026. For urgent assistance during this period, please contact our National Contact Centre on 1800 472 247. Essential staff will be available on 29, 30 and 31 December. 

Please note that supervision should continue as usual for registrars over the holiday period where required; if you have questions about your supervision arrangements, please contact your training coordinator. 

Contact us

For any queries about the information enclosed, please contact your local training team.