The Minister for Health, Sussan Ley, today announced new training regions and governance arrangements for the future delivery of GP specialist training.
Ms Ley said the new geographic boundaries for 11 training regions to deliver the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) programme had been developed in consultation with GP stakeholders and would commence from 2016.
“The Abbott Government is committed to continuing our high quality vocational training programme for general practice and ensuring there are more GPs in training to deliver primary health care to Australians for generations to come,” Ms Ley said.
“Through streamlining administration and corporate requirements, these new geographic boundaries will assist to support more GP registrars including 1500 fully funded GP registrar training places in 2016.”
Ms Ley also announced the establishment of a new profession-led General Practice Training Advisory Committee to provide advice to government on GP training policy and delivery.
This advisory committee will undertake evaluation of the Australian General Practice Training programme and be jointly managed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. The advisory committee will include representatives of General Practice Registrars Australia, General Practice Supervisors Australia, an independent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander GP, two independent clinicians, the Department of Health and an independent chair.
The Australian Government will shortly conduct a tender to deliver the AGPT programme from 2016 onwards. This will ensure new regional training organisations and arrangements are in place for the 2016 intake of GP registrars.
The AGPT programme is a postgraduate vocational education and training programme designed to prepare GP registrars for fellowship. There are currently more than 4,700 GP registrars on the AGPT programme nationally.
The change is part of implementing the 2014-15 Budget initiative, Rebuilding general practice education and training to deliver more GPs.
Further information including a map providing details of the new training regions is available at the Australian General Practice Training website.
