Boom in rural training means 251 more GPs on the way to WA communities

Western Australia has welcomed 251 new GP registrars in 2026, the largest intake on record – supporting stronger GP access across the state, including communities in regional and remote areas.

The future specialist GPs and Rural Generalists will begin their training through the Commonwealth-funded Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program with the RACGP today, a cohort 28.1% larger than the exceptional result for the state in 2025. Of these:

• 130 future GPs and Rural Generalists on an AGPT rural training pathway will spend the full three years of their training in regional, rural, or remote WA, a 68.8% increase on 2025
• 121 on a general pathway will train in the metropolitan area of Greater Perth, with at least 12 months in an outer metropolitan, rural, or non-capital city region, or an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training post.

WA achieved one of the strongest results for 2026 GP training intake nationally, supporting access across its large geographic footprint.

This follows news the RACGP has secured a new five-year AGPT Grant agreement with the Federal Government, the largest and longest training agreement ever awarded to a specialist medical college.

RACGP Vice President and WA Chair Dr Ramya Raman said the state’s growing cohort showcases the appeal of WA’s diverse training environments and the profession’s strong local reputation.

“The growth in the number of GPs training in regional and remote WA is excellent news for our rural communities, both now and into the future,” she said.

“People throughout the state will soon have better access to a GP who knows them and is a part of their community. That’s an incredibly valuable outcome for communities throughout the state, and it’s something we need sustained investment in to support.

“We’ve shown that we can train the GP workforce Western Australia’s communities need from Perth to the  remote Kimberley towns. More doctors want to start a career in general practice, and we’re ready to support them.

“More GPs is also a big win for easing pressure on WA’s hospital system. Wider access to the continuous care GPs provide means better preventive health outcomes, and care provided by GPs after unplanned hospital visits significantly reduces the chance a patient is readmitted.

“This is a bright, eager group of future GPs, who are keen to tackle the challenges that come with providing care in WA, and they’re being brought into a training program which registrars report is among the best in the country.”

A further 34 eligible doctors applied to train as GPs in WA on a general pathway, indicating that with more Commonwealth-funded AGPT places and support for GP supervisors, the RACGP can train more specialist GPs.

RACGP President Dr Michael Wright has welcomed the Federal Government’s investment in training to support all communities’ access to GPs.

“The five-year AGPT agreement we announced with the Government earlier today affirms the RACGP’s ability to deliver world-class GP training which prepares registrars for lifelong practice,” he said.

“This excellent result in WA is consistent with what we’re seeing nationally – more doctors are signing up to train as GPs, and more of them are signing up to train in the regional, rural, and remote communities that need them.

“The astounding growth in future specialist GPs training on a rural pathway confirms what we’ve said consistently – investment in general practice leads to real outcomes, and the RACGP is Australia’s leading college for rural and metropolitan GP training.

“Australia needs more specialist GPs and Rural Generalists, and the RACGP is ready and willing to train them. We’ll continue to work with the Government and health department to keep building a workforce that will deliver the specialist GPs communities need.”

~ENDS

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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the peak representative organisation for general practice, the backbone of Australia’s health system. We set the standards for general practice, facilitate lifelong learning for GPs, connect the general practice community, and advocate for better health and wellbeing for all Australians.

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