The report examines current and emerging health issues as well as profiling the workforce, job satisfaction and business of general practice. It forecasts trends in general practice and considers the implications for patients, general practitioners (GPs) and the sector.

This is an annual report, drawing in part on the findings of surveys of medical practitioners and patients. This year the topic in focus is 'innovation in general practice – barriers and enablers'. The report finds that most GPs do not feel well informed about innovation within general practice and a large proportion are not familiar with or actively adopting innovative tools and technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Key findings

• Each year, almost 9 in 10 Australians visit a GP.
• GPs are spending more time with their patients: an average of 18.7 minutes, up from 17.7 minutes in 2022.
• 73% of GPs are satisfied with their job, an increase from 66% in 2023.
• GP burnout is still high but slowly decreasing, with 69% of GPs experiencing burnout in 2024 down from 73% in 2022.
• GPs who work within an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health setting report much higher job satisfaction.
• The GP workforce is ageing, with the proportion of GPs aged 65 years and older steadily increasing. The share of new GPs under 35 has also declined, notably among female GPs. 
• In 2022–23, there were 2.85 million presentations to emergency departments that could have been potentially avoided by a visit to a general practice. 

The report also identifies trends of significant concern to Australian GPs, including:

1. an increase in complex patient health issues that require more time to diagnose and treat,
2. decreased government spending on general practice, potentially contributing to an increase in avoidable emergency medical care, 
3. increasing dependence (particularly among low income patients) on GPs for mental health support, and
4. decreasing numbers of medical students choosing to specialise in general practice.