RACGP’s ‘progress and renewed strategic direction’

The RACGP has described the past year as a period of ‘significant progress and renewed strategic direction’.
 
Releasing its 2024–25 Annual report this week, the college says its priorities for the year were strong and consistent advocacy, as well as increased funding and a well-supported workforce.
 
In 2024–25, 99.9% of members continued to choose the RACGP’s CPD offering, which included 4400 activities and members completing more than 220,000 hours each of AJGP and check activities.
 
Members continued to choose the RACGP despite 2024 changes which allowed GPs to choose a CPD home that was not tied to a medical college.
 
‘This is a result of our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, as well as efforts to anticipate what members want from their CPD home, and to ensure tracking activities is easy,’ the RACGP said.
 
‘With more members undertaking short, sharp education sessions, often at the point of care, we continue to focus on providing the best user experience for our members now and into the future.’
 
The report also revealed that in 2024–25, the RACGP had 52,900 members, including 30,463 Fellows, 8138 students, and 6478 GPs in training.
 
Almost 20,000 members have a qualification from a non-Australian university, with the top countries where members received their qualifications outside of Australia being India, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
 
Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program applications grew by 54%, with 1504 registrars beginning training, FSP applications grew by 34%, and 440 FSP registrars began training during the year.  
 
It also remains the program of choice for more than 80% of junior doctors pursuing a career in general practice – with participants reporting 90% overall satisfaction with the program.
 
The year also brought with it record numbers of registrars entering general practice, as well as a renewed five-year Australian Medical Council accreditation to continue training GPs.
 
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright described 2024–25 as a year with ‘major successes while also facing many of the ongoing challenges of our profession’.
 
‘We welcomed commitments from the Government to fund our proposal to improve and increase GP training numbers and improve the wages and leave entitlements of GPs in training,’ he said in the report.
 
‘Some more positives this year included the expansion to GP scope through reform of regulations around ADHD in many states, the rapid rollout of AI-supported technology across the country, and the long overdue establishment of a national college committee supporting the needs of international medical graduates.’
 
However, Dr Wright said work will continue to improve the financial viability of practices and to support GPs to deliver the care patients need.
 
In 2024–25, the RACGP saw a consolidated surplus of $8.3 million, a decrease of $11.4 million compared to a surplus of $19.7 million the year before.
 
However, the college said that when removing the one-off gains in 2023–24 and delayed expenditure relating to strategic projects, this year’s underlying operating surplus was comparable across both financial years, ‘indicating continued success of the college through its main operational activity’.
 
RACGP CEO Georgina van de Water said it is ‘difficult to overstate just how crucial these past 12 months have been for the RACGP and general practice’.
 
‘Our 2025–29 Strategy, informed by member feedback and insights, was launched in January and sets out clear priorities for the coming five years covering member support, workforce and training, innovation and technology, and advocacy and funding,’ she said.
 
‘Enabled by a contemporary and sustainable college, these focus areas serve as ongoing reference points and provide a framework to support critical decision-making aligned to our long-term goals.’
 
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RACGP Annual Report