Fears Australia may face GP shortage as figures reveal almost 10% now aged over 70
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GPs’ peak body is concerned a proposed new medical test for older doctors could force them from the system. Almost 10% of Australia’s GPs are aged over 70, new figures have revealed, with concerns that a proposal to introduce health checks for older doctors may worsen workforce shortages.
According to data from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), 8.8% of all GPs in Australia – 3,142 of 35,514 practitioners – are over 70, as of 30 June. That proportion is higher for GPs than for all doctors, of which 5.9% of practitioners are older than 70.
In light of the figures, the peak body for GPs has expressed concerns about a proposal by the national regulator to introduce health checks for doctors aged 70 and older. In August, Ahpra and the Medical Board of Australia opened consultation on a proposal to introduce general health checks with a GP, “to support early detection of concerns with the opportunity for management before the public is at risk”.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email. According to Ahpra complaints data, doctors over 70 are 81% more likely to be the subject of a notification for any reason than those under 70. Notification rates have almost doubled from 2015, from 36.2 notifications per 1,000 practitioners aged 70 and older, to 69.5 complaints per 1,000 in 2023.
In a submission to the public consultation on the proposal, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners described health checks as “another regulatory burden unnecessarily imposed on the general practice profession without evidence to support effectiveness”.
