Ahead of the Budget and the ballot box: What will make a difference in general practice

Keep informed of the College's Budget and election advocacy work.

As health takes centre stage in the lead‑up to Budget Day and the General Election, those of us working in general practice know that meaningful change depends not just on policy intent, but on solutions that reflect the realities of frontline care.

Put simply, recruitment, retention and addressing burnout in GPs will only happen when the profession’s remuneration and conditions are truly aligned with that of the other medical specialities. If political policies around access are to be successful, we first need a well-resourced workforce. The workforce only becomes sustainable when the value of the specialist GP role is recognised.

GPs are dedicated. However, after years of cumulative change, under investment and uncertainty we have a workforce who are increasingly frustrated, fatigued and vocal. This led to the recent Radio New Zealand focus on the future of the GP workforce that spoke to the very real pressures we face and the toll being taken on our current workforce, a toll that will continue if we see no meaningful change.

As I meet and engage with members and primary care teams across the country, an important and enjoyable part of my role as President, I am also hearing the same narrative, along with a variety of short-term fixes and innovations that are being implemented while awaiting more long-term investment and support.

However, many of you have expressed that despite the issues, you still love your job. The time with patients, the teams you work with, the relationships built over time based on understanding, expertise and trust. We must not lose sight in our narrative of these positives, of the wins we feel often, and of the service we bring and what remains so special about our specialty.

With significant system change underway and health firmly in the political spotlight especially as we head towards November’s election, it’s more important than ever that the frontline voice of specialist general practice is heard clearly and consistently.

There have been important steps forward and we must acknowledge those. Additional funding to support GP trainees beyond their first year of training, improvements to capitation calculations, and increased support for Fellowship and training pathways are all positive development. But I also know that for many of us, this progress is not sufficient, especially when pressures on practices and people are ongoing and constant.

These positive steps also reflect sustained and collaborative advocacy by the College and the wider profession to reduce barriers to training, recognise the contribution of GP Fellows and support workforce sustainability.

For many GPs, change cannot come soon enough. Burnout remains unacceptably high, and workforce pressures continue to be felt unevenly particularly in our rural and high needs communities. Many of you are also mentoring, supervising and training the next generation. You are providing continuity of care for patients with complex and long‑term needs, work that is critical but too often invisible.

Addressing workforce shortages is not just about the numbers. It’s about ensuring the specialism of general practice returns as a career of choice. One that medical students and junior doctors see as valued, supported and professionally rewarding.

The health system increasingly relies on multidisciplinary teams to improve access to care. But those models only succeed when specialist GPs are present to provide the leadership, coordination and clinical oversight, particularly for the increasing cohort of patients with complex needs.

As election health policies begin to materialise, this is not about headlines, soundbites or short-term announcements. It’s about whether what’s being proposed can actually be delivered and more importantly, whether it truly matches the realities of how general practice operates day to day.

What the workforce needs, and what we will look for over the coming months, is clarity and certainty alongside recognition of the full scope and complexity of modern general practice, including the often-unseen work that keeps practices running and supports training. More importantly, we need to see policy and legislation change to reflect this.

The College is preparing a series of papers highlighting priority areas of advocacy and outlining practical solutions that will make a significant impact on how GPs work and provide care to patients. These will be released either in response to announcements or to call out inaction between now and November’s election.

My commitment, and the College’s, is to keep listening, to keep grounding our advocacy in your experience, and to keep pushing for solutions that are practical, realistic and fair. Specialist general practice and the wider primary care workforce must be recognised and supported not just for our own wellbeing, but for the patients and communities who rely on us every day.

This column was published in NZ Doctor on 26 May 2026.