‘Strong access to mental health care matters’: GPs call for action on mental health services in rural and remote communities

On World Mental Health Day, GPs have called on all levels of government to improve access to mental health support, particularly in rural and remote communities, including a boost to patient rebates for longer GP consults. 

It comes following the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) launching a new position statement on the provision of mental health services in rural Australia.  

RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said that the time to act was now. 

“Australia is in the middle of a mental health crisis, and more must be done to ensure all patients, including those living in remote and rural areas, can access the mental health services they need,” he said. 

“In our own Health of the Nation Report 2025, launched earlier this week, 71% of GPs nominated mental health concerns as a top reason for patient presentations, up 10% since the survey began in 2017. 

“By boosting patient rebates for longer consults, GPs can take the time needed to deliver the highest quality of care. Complex consults, including for mental health concerns, can’t be rushed. The problem is that Medicare is structured in a way that encourages ‘six-minute medicine’, and this must change.”   

RACGP Rural Chair Associate Professor Michael Clements backed the President’s comments. 

“Strong access to mental health care matters. GPs are the first port of call for many patients with mental health concerns, and GPs living and working in the bush play a particularly vital role providing mental health services,” he said. 

“Some patients in rural and remote areas have limited access to psychologists and psychiatrists, and unfortunately, stigma persists around mental health care with some people reluctant to be seen in a psychologist’s waiting room. GPs across Australia do a tremendous job helping patients in rural and remote areas experiencing mental health concerns, including via Focussed Psychological Strategies [FPS] consults.  

“By ‘decoupling’ the FPS consult items, which is mental healthcare provided by a GP, from Better Access care delivered by a psychologist, we can afford patients 20 Medicare-subsidised mental healthcare consults a year, double the current figure. This would have a particularly profound impact in rural and remote areas. 

“We also call on all levels of government to step up efforts to secure the future of the general practice workforce. We threw our support behind the Federal Government’s commitment to train 2000 new GPs every year by 2028 and incentivise more junior doctors to become specialist GPs.  

“Let’s keep up that momentum and go even further, including a Government commitment to rural locum support, by funding the RACGP’s proposed Pathways to Rural program. This would fund metropolitan GPs to spend at least two weeks in a rural general practice every six months. That adds up to at least 600 extra weeks of rural healthcare, including mental health support, by GPs each year, with the potential for telehealth follow-ups,  

“The Federal Government can also help address acute shortages of GPs in the bush by investing in the Fellowship Support Program and Practice Experience Program Specialist Program to better support international medical graduates, who are particularly important for patients in rural and remote communities.  

“Last but not least, we’ll continue urging state and local governments to work together and offer incentives such as housing, childcare, and spousal employment to boost the attractiveness of working as a GP in a rural or remote area and make the transition that much easier.” 

~ENDS 

RACGP spokespeople are available for interviews: 03 8699 0992 / [email protected].