As the New Zealand representative on the AMRANZ Council, I had the chance to attend the trans-Tasman workforce forum earlier this month. Hearing directly from RACGP’s workforce leads, while comparing notes with our Australian colleagues, gave me a clear sense of what’s happening on both sides of the Tasman right now.
Also this month, both RACGP and the Medical Council of New Zealand released their latest workforce reports. When you look at them side by side, the patterns are hard to miss: communities are needing more from primary care at the exact time GP capacity is tightening.
In Australia, the modelling is stark. They’re forecasting a significant GP shortfall over the next 15 years, driven by an ageing population, rising chronic disease, and fewer young doctors choosing full-time general practice – with rural areas feeling the pressure first.
Here in Aotearoa, the picture looks different on the surface, but the themes are similar. Our overall workforce is growing, but GPs are becoming a smaller proportion of it, GP hours continue to fall, and we remain heavily reliant on IMGs with early attrition still far too high.
So what does all this mean for NZ?
It means we can’t rely on recruitment alone. We need stronger supervision models, better pre-arrival and post-arrival orientation, and systems that help doctors thrive once they get here. The good news is that we’re a small, collaborative country. When we choose to move, we can move fast.
At Good Together, this is the space we care most deeply about – helping doctors feel supported, confident, and connected so they can stay, settle, and enjoy the kind of balanced lifestyle Aotearoa is known for.
If you’d like to read both reports, we’ve linked them below. They’re well worth a look.
