The Australian Government will invest $14.5 million for an extra 306 places in the fully Commonwealth-funded Australian GP Training (AGPT) Program, having previously announced 200 more places in the program in 2026, a move the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has called a win for access to GPs.
Patients will also receive the same Medicare support for an electrocardiogram (ECG) service from 1 March next year, regardless of whether it is performed by a GP or another specialist.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said more AGPT places will mean more GPs training where they’re needed.
“This is a great decision – the Government is delivering on its commitment to train more specialist GPs,” he said.
“A record number of doctors took up Commonwealth-funded specialist GP training with the RACGP in 2025, with all places filled for the first time in a number of years.
“The RACGP trains 90% of GPs across Australia, in our cities and our rural and remote communities – and as we have said, more funding and support means we can train more specialist GPs.
“Funding general practice gets results, and the decision to increase funding for GP training places beyond what was in this year’s Federal Budget shows the Government knows we can deliver.
“Most specialist GP training takes place in practices under expert supervision, so any investment in GP training means more GPs practising sooner in our communities.
“Where a doctor trains has a strong influence on where they continue to work once they finish their specialist GP training, and we’ve worked with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to make sure these future GPs train where patients need them most.”
The RACGP will announce details of its 2026 AGPT Program cohort in early 2026.
In more positive news, the Medicare rebate for patients receiving an ECG service from their GP follows extensive advocacy by the RACGP and other health organisations, and a 2022 recommendation by the Electrocardiogram Review Committee. It is funded by a $24 million investment over four years from 2025–26.
An ECG is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that records the heart's electrical activity, helping diagnose rhythms, heart attacks, or poor blood flow, and is increasingly used to screen for heart health risk in general practice.
In a 2024 newsGP poll, 84% of respondents said the reintroduction of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for GPs to trace and report on ECGs would benefit patients.
Dr Wright said the investment, which reverses a 2020 funding cut, is a win for equal access for patients, and recognition that GPs should receive equal funding to other specialists when they deliver the same care.
“A previous analysis by the RACGP found 2.2 million ECGs were not performed by GPs in the two years after the 2020 cut,” he said.
“Those were 2.2 million fewer opportunities for GPs to catch heart health issues early because of a Medicare rule change that meant we as GPs could request another specialist to perform an ECG, but were not funded to perform it.
“For GPs and for patients, this made no sense. Why should patients have to book an appointment with another specialist, often with a significant gap fee, to perform a check that’s part of a GP’s normal practice?
“We don’t know how many ECGs were missed as a result.
“This change was the top recommendation of the 2022 ECG review, and it’s well overdue. This is a win for our patients’ access to equitable care, and recognition of GPs’ role as specialists in preventive care.”
Both measures were included in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the Australian Government’s update to measures announced in the 2025–26 Budget.
MYEFO investments also include:
- $219.8 million to establish 1800MEDICARE to help strengthen access to urgent care and take pressure off hospitals from 1 January 2026, providing access to free, nationwide 24/7 health advice and afterhours GP telehealth services
- $88.9 million over five years from 2025–26 to enable an orderly transition from the use of cheques across the Australian Government. This includes establishing a new Medicare electronic gap‑only billing system to replace current Pay Doctor via Claimant arrangements, which will reduce the administrative burden on practice teams
- $9.3 million over four years from 2025–26 to introduce patient-end support MBS items for eligible Medicare providers who are providing in-person support to a MyMedicare registered patient during a GP video consultation
- $23.3 million over two years from 2026–27 to extend the MBS Continuous Review program to ensure the Medicare Benefits Schedule remains clinically appropriate.
~ENDS
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