The survivability crisis facing general practice that many of us in the profession have been thinking about, talking about and predicting for some time is now apparently very real.

When the story leads the news coverage in mainstream media, it is clear that this is no longer an existential threat.

How did we get into this mess? There are numerous factors that have led to the current predicament, including a now fatally flawed Medicare funding model, illogical GP medical benefits eligibility rules and a serious GP shortage. These have all been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic placed additional significant pressures on general practice, with practices reporting an ongoing shortage of available GPs, nurses and administration staff.