March 9, 2026
Rural patients could have greater access to GP care for less than $3 million per year under a Royal Australian College of GPs’ proposal put to the Federal Government.
The Pathways to Rural program would fund GPs from major cities to spend four weeks per year providing care in the country, allowing them to trial rural general practice, build ongoing relationships with patients and communities, and train in the medical skills they most need.
Pathways to Rural would cut the cost of expensive locum support, which harms practice viability and contributes to closures.
It would also reduce burnout among the rural GP workforce.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the proposal had been met with enthusiasm.
“When we’ve brought up Pathways to Rural with MPs and senators in Canberra, they’ve been really supportive,” he said.
“It makes sense to them – it’s easy to see the benefit of patients in their electorates receiving continuity of care from the same specialist GP, and for the GPs in their communities to be able to take time off when they’re ill or simply need a well-earned break. It’s a low-cost proposal with clear benefits.
“Specialist GPs want to do this, too. If you’re a GP in the city, moving to practise rurally can mean uprooting your whole life, as well as travel expenses and extra training.
“Pathways to Rural would cover those costs so rural practices don’t have to, while giving more GPs an opportunity to give rural practice a go.
“Forming relationships with patients and communities will mean they can potentially continue to provide care to their new rural patients via telehealth, or make providing care in these communities a more permanent thing.
“There’s real enthusiasm for this idea, including from many conversations we have had in Canberra. For a relatively small amount of health funding this has the potential for fantastic long-term results.”
The RACGP says that if implemented, the Pathways to Rural program would save the healthcare system at least $4.4 million per year from reduced use of locum doctors, whose costs are higher due to the ad hoc nature of their work.
The $2.3–$2.8 million annual outlay would cover travel costs, as well as training for the participating GPs.
