Getting rid of private general practices and moving GPs into the public hospital system could be the solution to burnout in some rural areas, a Liberal Senator has suggested.

Senator Hollie Hughes flagged her policy reform idea at a hearing of a Senate inquiry into general practice last week.

“Listening to what was being said, as to the attractiveness of the hospital situation, I thought, ‘Why don’t we just get rid of private practice?'” she said.

“[Why can’t we] just fund more GPs into hospitals some way or another and just get rid of private practice?”