Not enough General Practitioners are enrolling to train in the Northern Territory (NT), which could spell disaster for the NT’s future GP workforce according to a recent Menzies study.

Menzies Professor of Remote and Rural Health Services Research John Wakerman said the study looked at factors underpinning the decline in GP enrolments in the NT as well as ways to correct them.

“The NT has always struggled to attract and retain GPs, particularly in remote areas, and therefore relies on doctors enrolled in GP training, however between 2016 and 2020 new enrolments in GP training in the NT fell by 50 percent – this is in stark contrast to the national decline of just 12 percent,” Professor Wakerman said.

Menzies Senior Research Fellow Dr Deb Russell, said the period prior to doctors enrolling in specialty training was deemed the most crucial for attracting them to GP training in the NT.

“We found that the most important phase of training to invest in was the period of time from when medical students graduated to when they first enrolled in a specialty training program, because many are still making up their minds about their career paths,” Dr Russell said.

The study acknowledges the complexity of the problem and that there are no easy solutions.

“Solving the problem will need a coordinated response from multiple agencies – including the Australian and NT Government, GP Colleges, Regional Training Organisations such as NTGPE, and primary care services,” Dr Russell said.

NTGPE Chief Executive Officer Stephen Pincus said NTGPE is well aware of the challenges identified in the Menzies report, with the organisation having provided a comprehensive GP training program in the NT for more than 20 years.

“At NTGPE, we believe that a successful program that will support GP registrars during their training in the NT, and provide opportunities for remote work, needs to include a comprehensive cultural education component, as well as personalised support to overcome barriers to remote work,” he said.

Read more in the BMC Human Resources for Health Journal here.