Plan to boost GP numbers in North-East Tasmania unveiled

For years Tasmania has been experiencing a GP shortage, resulting in a lower ratio of doctors per capita compared to the national average.
 
But there is hope on the horizon.
 
In what would be a significant boost to general practice training in the state’s north-east, the Labor Government has made a Federal Election promise to deliver end-to-end medical training at the University of Tasmania (UTAS), enabling medical students to complete their entire medical degree in Launceston for the first time.
 
If re-elected and the promise comes to fruition, the university will offer 20 new places for medical students each year for the next five years, commencing in 2026. This will see an extra 100 medical students across all year levels train in Launceston.
 
The Federal Government said the new medical places ‘will have an emphasis on primary healthcare’ in a bid to encourage more medical graduates to become GPs and address ‘regional workforce shortages, improve health outcomes for people living in Launceston, and ensure a local pipeline of doctors to meet the state’s workforce needs’.
 
RACGP Tasmania Chair, Dr Toby Gardner, who is also a lecturer in general practice and community care at UTAS said advocacy efforts have been pushing for this investment ‘for many years’.
 
‘This is great news for general practice care in North-East Tasmania,’ he said.
 
‘We’ve only just started training year three medical students this year in Launceston, so students had to complete their first few years in Hobart.
 
‘That’s now set to change.’
 
Tasmania has a GP ratio of roughly 106 GPs per 100,000 people, below the national average of 119.
 
However, a recent increase in the number of GPs in training is proving hopeful for the future, with the number of GPs training in the state growing by 57% in 2025.
 
This has been attributed in part to the State Government committing to cover up to $100,000 of the student HECS debt of 40 GPs who train and work in the state’s rural and regional areas.
 
Dr Gardner said the Federal Government’s election promise is another important step in helping to secure the future of general practice care in Tasmania, so that patients do not miss out on the healthcare they need.
 
‘There is strong data to show that if you train from where you’re from, you’re more likely to stay there,’ he said.
 
‘So, it’s a great thing to have more doctors start their medical training in North-East Tasmania.
 
‘More medical students studying and graduating in Launceston means more doctors living and working in Launceston, so the entire community will benefit.’
 
According to the RACGP’s 2025 intake data, Dr Gardner said he is proud to report that UTAS is the fourth in the nation for producing GPs and the first for producing rural GPs.
 
‘There are GPs like me who work at UTAS, and I hope that we can inspire even more medical students to choose the general practice career path so that we can address workforce challenges and ensure all patients can access care from a GP who knows them, and their history,’ he said.
 
 ‘As a GP, I can tell you that it’s an incredibly rewarding and satisfying profession.
 
‘The next step now is locking these training numbers in for the future for many years to come. Let’s not take a backwards step; the aim now is to build on this momentum.’
 
As part of its Federal Election campaign, the Labor Government has also promised to invest $617 million to train more doctors and nurses. If realised, it will see 2000 new GPs in training a year by 2028.
 
These measures have also been backed by the Coalition.
 
If elected, the Liberal Government has also promised to invest $100 million on improving rural healthcare specifically, including upgrades to regional medical training facilities and additional regional medical Commonwealth Supported Places.
 
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medical training North-East Tasmania primary care UTAS