The Federal Government needs to spend almost $200 million to improve the pay and conditions of GP registrars “as a matter of urgency”, says the RACGP.

The college estimates that the disparity between the average GP registrar’s income at the start of their general practice training and hospital-based registrars has reached around $30,000 on average.

Its latest demand, outlined in its pre-budget submission to the government last month, comes amid the 20% fall in the number of junior doctors applying for GP training between 2015 and 2019.

“Inadequate remuneration, as both a GP trainee and as a specialist GP, is contributing to the reduced interest in becoming a GP,” the RACGP writes.