1. Executive Summary

We aim to highlight the need for pay parity and improved leave entitlements for GP registrars in Australia. Through advocating for fairer pay and standardised leave across community and hospital-based medical training programs, we can enhance registrar wellbeing, improve recruitment and retention, and ensure equity across the medical workforce.

2. Background

GP registrars are essential for the Australian healthcare system but have worse pay and leave entitlements compared to their hospital registrar counterparts. In choosing to enter general practice training, doctors experience a significant reduction in base pay, and lose ccess to paid parental leave, study leave and accumulation of long service leave. As the majority of GP training takes place in privately-owned clinics, external funding is required to address these discrepancies. By removing these barriers to entering GP training, we can attract more doctors to the profession, reduce burnout and job dissatisfaction for current trainees to improve retention, and ultimately ensure the Australian population has better access to GPs for the future.

3. Key Issues

• Pay disparity: GP registrars are already underpaid relative to hospital registrars of the same postgraduate year.
• Leave inequity: GP registrars lack standard leave entitlements, including paid study and parental leave.
• Impact: Unable to attract doctors to general practice training, delayed commencement of training, burnout, high turnover, and low morale affecting registrar wellbeing and career progression.

4. Proposed Recommendations

• Raise base pay: Advocate for pay increases to match registrars undergoing non-GP specialty training, based on current hospital registrar salary benchmarks nationwide.
• Standardise leave entitlements: Ensure that all GP registrars receive paid study leave and access to paid parental leave in line with hospital registrars in training.
• Allow accumulation of long service leave: For GP registrars who are continuing to work in hospitals during their GP training time and those who intend to return to hospital service post-fellowship.
• Payments direct to trainees: Ensure that additional funding for base pay and paid leave is provided direct to GP registrars, so that entitlements are standardised nationwide.
• Ongoing monitoring: Create a mechanism for tracking the implementation of these changes, with regular feedback from GP registrars.

5. Benefits

• Improved retention: Fair pay and leave entitlements will attract and retain registrars in the GP workforce.
• Increased job satisfaction: Access to adequate paid leave reduces burnout and improves mental health, leading to better patient care.
• Sustainable Workforce: A well-supported registrar workforce will contribute to the long-term sustainability of primary healthcare in Australia.

6. Conclusion and Call to Action

Improving pay and leave entitlements for GP registrars is essential for our wellbeing and the future of Australian healthcare. We urge policymakers to take immediate steps to implement these changes to ensure a fairer, more sustainable healthcare system for the Australian community.

Authored by:

• Dr Chris Dickie, President, General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA)
• Dr Ameer Shehab and Dr Hayden Cain, Co-Chairs, Australian Medical Association General Practice Trainee Advisory Committee (AMA GTAC)
• Dr Rebecca Loveridge and Dr Cecilia Xiao, Chair and Deputy Chair, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) GPs in Training Faculty

Supported by:

• Dr Josie Guyer, Chair, Indigenous General Practice Trainee Network (IGPTN)
• Dr Srishti Dutta, Chair, General Practice Supervision Australia (GPSA)
• Kei Hsieh, National Chair, General Practice Students Network (GPSN)
• Dr Sanjay Hettige Chair, AMA Council of Doctors in Training (AMA CDT).