The AMA has condemned a push for the RACGP and ACRRM to take over employment of GP registrars, arguing only government salaries can reverse the decline in applications. 

A model where registrars are put on college salaries has been proposed in consultations to revamp the Australian General Practice Training Program, which has not filled its annual quota of 1500 places since 2017. 

There are few details but the radical reform was one of four possible fixes proposed by the Department of Health in a meeting of its General Practice Training Advisory Committee late last year. 

In a discussion paper published after the meeting, it argued the system could be a possible mechanism to reverse the reduction in income and loss of accrued leave entitlements once GP registrars leave the public hospital system.