15 more places for GP trainees 'inadequate'

The announcement of 15 new placements for general practitioner trainees has been welcomed by medical groups, but they say more are needed to avoid a crisis.

Health Minister Pete Hodgson yesterday authorised the College of GPs to boost the intake of its training programme next year to 69 state-funded trainees. It has 54 this year.

He committed to the increase for two years, lifting the state's annual outlay on the scheme by $1 million a year, to around $6 million. He also hinted that a Health Ministry review of GP training could lead to further increases.

Fifteen of the 69 places - including five of the new ones - will attract a rural scholarship.

The funded places are highly sought after. For the last three years, the college has received twice as many applications as it has places, although before that some places were not filled. In addition to those in the funded places, around 50 new trainees a year now pay their own way to attend college seminars.

The programme of on-the-job training and seminars takes three years, following six studying for a medical degree and two working in hospitals.

The college and the Medical Association point to a looming crisis in general practice, with fewer doctors entering the job than are leaving. The association considers the shortage of rural GPs has already driven that sector into a crisis.

Nationally, Medical Council statistics show a 5 per cent drop in the number of active GPs, to 3013, in the four years to 2004 - but Mr Hodgson has in the past played down talk of a crisis, citing long-term figures showing a 25 per cent increase since the early 1970s.

New Zealand has more GPs per capita than Britain but fewer than Australia, although wide regional variations exist in New Zealand.

College chief executive Karen Thomas said: "While the extra 15 places won't solve the current shortage, they give an earlier start to addressing the issue."

Association GP Council chairman Dr Peter Foley said the number was "well short of replacement needs.

"It's good that there's a focus on the rural sector because it has an over-reliance on overseas trained doctors."