RACGP embarks on Tassie road trip

The RACGP is calling on both state and federal governments to turn their attention to rural Tasmanian communities, to ensure people living in these regions do not miss out on vital general practice care. 
 
RACGP Tasmania Chair Dr Toby Gardner told newsGP that boosting the state’s rural, regional and remote workforce must be a priority.
 
‘We’ve been lacking GPs all around Tasmania. It’s a big regional area and we suffer the same disadvantages as the rest of Australia in regional and rural areas in attracting long-term staff,’ he said.
 
‘It’s really important we just focus on growing our own local workforce.’
 
Last month, the RACGP welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to train more doctors in Launceston, by delivering end-to-end medical training at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) starting in 2026.
 
The funding commitment will see an additional 100 medical students training in Launceston.
 
Dr Gardner said this is an important step towards retaining GPs across the state once their training is complete.
 
‘If we have students from this region studying medicine from years one to five, all the way through, we’re more likely to retain them long-term after they’ve finished their training in whatever specialty they pursue,’ he said.
 
‘In Tasmania, at UTAS, we’ve been really successful in producing GPs – we’re the fourth highest in the nation for producing GPs, and first for producing rural GPs.’
 
Dr Gardner’s calls are back by data, which shows that between 2021 and 2025, UTAS graduates comprised 40% of the total RACGP Australian General Practice Training [AGPT] cohort in Tasmania.
 
‘The college has successfully placed 177 GPs in training in rural communities that had not had a registrar in years,’ he said.
 
‘There are currently 20 Tasmanian practices benefiting from these incentivised placements, including a registrar in Beaconsfield and two in Burnie. 
 
‘We’re also supporting 123 AGPT registrars in Tasmania, in addition to 37 registrars in the Fellowship Support Program training pathway, and another eight in the Practice Experience Program Specialist program, which is designed for international medical graduates.
 
‘This is positive news, and we’re working hard to expand the number of RACGP-accredited practices across the state.’ 
 
The advocacy calls come ahead of the college-sponsored Tasmanian Rural Health Conference, where GPs from across the state are expected to come together to share insights and learn more about how to boost healthcare in the bush.

Dr Toby Gardner being interviewed for the Tasmania road trip. (Image: Supplied) 
 
Visiting for the conference, RACGP Rural Chair Associate Professor Michael Clements and Tasmanian Rural Programs Manager Judah Morris joined Dr Gardner on Thursday on a visit to the RACGP award-winning Beaconsfield Family Practice and the Launceston Clinical School, where they met with medical students.
 
Associate Professor Clements and Mr Morris will also take the opportunity to visit the Patrick Street Clinic in Ulverston, the Umina Park Nursing Home in Shorewell Park, and the Burnie Clinical School.
 
Dr Gardner said it had been a wonderful opportunity to meet with the Rural Chair and other GPs face-to-face.
 
‘It’s just great, everyone here has got to meet someone they’ve seen circulating in the media over so many years and talking about the benefits of life in a rural area,’ he said.
 
‘Meeting Michael has been really exciting for rural GPs, and for a lot of our GP registrars and medical students it’s quite inspirational for them.
 
‘We always love hosting guests from the mainland, particularly ones of Michael’s stature.’
 
The Tasmanian Chair’s call to action to boost rural general practice care is backed by Associate Professor Clements, who said more can be done right across the country, including in Tasmania.
  
‘This includes measures to ensure medical students can continue training regionally as they move into their postgraduate years,’ he said.
 
‘We urge state and local governments to work together and offer incentives, such as a helping hand on childcare, housing, and spousal employment, to boost rural GP numbers.’
 
Associate Professor Clements also called on both federal and state governments to provide additional support to rural practices taking on GPs in training.
 
‘This could include not only support for new or improved infrastructure, but even financial incentive payments to practices taking on registrars.
 
‘The time to secure the future of rural general practice care is now.’
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

general practice care rural workforce Tasmania