We need to make primary care careers attractive: the future of our health system depends on it
In this issue of the Journal, Playford and colleagues1 ask whether there is a primary care emergency in Australia. They report evidence from one Australian medical school — a decline in the proportion of its graduates who become general practitioners — and warn that, if their finding applies nationally, it may signal an emerging primary care workforce deficit.
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- 1. Playford D, May JA, Ngo H, Puddey IB. Decline in new medical graduates registered as general practitioners. Med J Aust 2020; 212: 421–422.
- 2. World Health Organization. Primary health care. Draft operational framework: Transforming vision into action (EB146/5). Dec 2019. https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB146/B146_5-en.pdf (viewed Mar 2020).
- 3. Bodenheimer T, Sinsky C. Triple to quadruple aim: care of the patient requires care of the provider. Ann Fam Med 2014; 12: 573–576.
- 4. Australian Productivity Commission. Report on government services: Primary and community health. Jan 2020. https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2020/health/primary-and-community-health/rogs-2020-parte-section10.pdf (viewed Mar 2020).
- 5. Scott A. The future of the medical workforce. Melbourne: The Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2019. https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/3069548/ANZ-MI-Health-Sector-Report-Future.pdf (viewed Mar 2020).
- 6. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Medical practitioners workforce 2015 [web report]. Updated Aug 2016. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/workforce/medical-practitioners-workforce-2015 (viewed Mar 2020).
- 7. Australian Department of Health. Medical education and training (3rd) report tables. Updated July 2019. https://hwd.health.gov.au/met.html (viewed Mar 2020).
- 8. Digital NHS. General practice workforce England, GP tables, December 2019. Feb 2020. https://files.digital.nhs.uk/C3/D9A4B3/GPW%20December%202019%20-%20GPs.xlsx (viewed Mar 2020).
- 9. Douglas KA, Rayner FK, Yen LE, et al. Australia's primary health care workforce: research informing policy. Med J Aust 2009; 191: 81–84. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2009/191/2/australias
- 10. Australian Department of Health. Primary health reform steering group established [media release]. 18 Oct 2019. https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/primary-health-reform-steering-group-established (viewed Mar 2020).
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