Australia’s GPs are providing more complex care and spending longer with patients than they were a decade ago, according to new findings from the RACGP’s 2026 Health of the Nation report, which also shows improvements in access to care and patient satisfaction.
The report, a unique insight into 10 years of general practice data, reveals Australians are increasingly able to access GP care, but patient complexity remains the number one challenge facing GPs. Seventy-two percent of GPs identified the increasing complexity of caring for patients as a key issue and two-thirds of GPs said they are spending longer with patients than in previous years.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the report demonstrates the vital role general practice plays in keeping Australians healthy and the importance of greater Federal Government investment to ensure patients can continue to access comprehensive, high-quality care from a GP who knows them and their history.
“With more than 22 million Australians choosing to see a specialist GP for their essential health care every year, general practice remains Australia’s most accessed health service. These findings show a profession that is delivering for patients every day,” Dr Wright said.
“The 2026 Health of the Nation report found that more GPs were now practicing full time, and 99% of patients were able to see a GP when needed in 2024-25. The proportion of patients able to see their preferred GP when they needed to also increased to 67%, up from 64%.
“At the same time, GPs are caring for patients with increasingly complex health needs. We’re managing more chronic disease, more mental health concerns, more multi-morbidity and more conditions that have traditionally been treated elsewhere in hospitals and by non-GP specialists.
“This year, 89% of GPs reported managing conditions that non-GP specialists might typically treat, while 76% reported managing conditions usually treated in a hospital emergency department or urgent care clinic.
“That reflects the breadth and depth of modern general practice. GPs are providing more comprehensive care than ever before and helping patients navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system.
“The Australian Government invested $13.4 billion in GP services in 2024-25, and that investment is making a difference. We’re also training more GPs than ever before, and the number of full-time equivalent GPs has increased.”
The report also revealed the length of consultations have increased again, with GPs now spending an average of 19.8 minutes with patients, compared to 17.7 minutes in 2022.
“Longer consultations allow GPs to manage multiple conditions, coordinate care, support prevention and address complex health issues that simply can’t be resolved in a brief appointment,” Dr Wright said.
“The challenge is that the Medicare system has not kept pace with the realities of modern general practice and funding does not adequately support the time required to provide the care patients need.
“The RACGP continues to call on the Government to increase Medicare patient rebates by 40% for longer consultations, to ensure patients with complex and chronic conditions can access the care they need without facing out of pocket costs.
“But as demand continues to grow, we need funding that reflects the complexity of modern patient care and supports the long-term sustainability of general practice.
Dr Wright said governments across Australia had recognised the growing complexity of care and introduced reforms to help healthcare professionals work at the top of their scope.
“State governments appear to be starting to recognising the value of GPs in keeping people off their lengthy waiting lists implementing measures that enable GPs and other health professionals to work together to care if patients in the community It’s now time for the Federal Government to address the issue,” he said.
Alongside fairer rebates, the College is also calling for Health Assessment Medicare Benefits Schedule items to be extended to a broader range of patients and priority groups and for the establishment of an independent primary care pricing authority to ensure funding decisions are transparent and reflect the true cost of delivering care, in line with the recent MBS review’s draft recommendations.
“If we want a healthier Australia, we must continue investing in general practice,” Dr Wright said.
“Strong general practice means better patient outcomes, less pressure on hospitals and lower healthcare costs over time. There is no substitute for the care patients receive from a trusted specialist GP who knows them and their history. It is one of the most valuable investments our health system can make.”
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