GP registrars will be placed in bulk-billing practices as a priority under the new five-year $1.08 billion training contract the Federal Government has signed with the RACGP and ACRRM.

As hinted in draft guidance last year, the new Australian General Practice Training Program contract signed last week, which is worth $751.3 million to the RACGP and $331.7 million to ACRRM, has a clause giving priority to bulk-billing practices.

ACRRM president Dr Rod Martin told AusDoc that he welcomed the increased training places under the contract, but would have preferred the bulk-billing clause ditched.

He stressed that the contract stipulated that bulk-billing practices must be prioritised without making it an ironclad requirement, and it was unclear how strictly the government would interpret it.