With a federal election looming, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) is urging the government to invest $130 million to strengthen Australia’s Rural Generalist (RG) workforce and secure the future of rural healthcare.

In its 2025-2026 federal budget submission, ACRRM is calling for:

  • $100 million over four years to expand the flagship RG pathway, aiming to increase training positions to 500 registrars per year.
  • $30 million annually to support prevocational training in rural communities, helping medical graduates transition into careers as rural GPs and RGs.

ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin warns that without investment, rural, remote, and First Nations communities will continue to face critical healthcare shortages.

“Our training program is already delivering highly skilled Rural Generalists where they’re needed most, but demand is outstripping supply,” Dr Martin says.

“Registrar numbers have doubled since 2018, and in 2024, training places were oversubscribed—and are set to do the same in 2025.

“With an extra $100 million, we can train 500 new Rural Generalists each year, filling urgent workforce gaps and ensuring more communities have access to lifesaving local healthcare.”

The College is also calling for $30 million per year to support medical graduates transitioning into rural practice.

“Most junior doctors spend their first year of training in urban hospital and we need to ensure they have exposure to rural generalism,” Dr Martin says.

“This funding will integrate rural training into early medical careers, giving doctors the skills and confidence to choose rural, remote, and First Nations healthcare.”

ACRRM is urging the government to make this critical investment to ensure the continued growth and success of Australia’s rural healthcare workforce.

 Alongside expanding the RG training pipeline, its submission also calls for funding to:

  • Secure and sustain rural women’s health services
  • Use rural Generalist recognition to address the rural deficit in funded health services
  • Retain and incentivise the RG workforce in rural and remote communities.

Read the full ACRRM Pre-Budget Submission here.