About the initiative
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DoHDA) are offering incentives to GP registrars to make their employment conditions similar to those in hospital-based training programs. To qualify, GP registrars must be enrolled in a Commonwealth-funded GP training pathway under the Australian General Practice Training Program (AGPT) or Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS). The incentives will be available from the first training semester in 2026.
Salary incentive
- A salary incentive for doctors when they commence with RVTS from semester one, 2026 or later.
- This incentive applies only to the 2026.1 and subsequent cohorts, and not to RVTS registrars who commenced training before 2026.
Study leave incentive
- Up to 5 days of financial support per training year to assist RVTS registrars to take study leave. The intent of the incentive is to assist registrars in studying for and attending exams and attending professional development activities.
- This incentive applies to all current RVTS registrars from 2026.
Parental leave incentive
- Up to 20 calendar weeks of financial support to assist registrars to take parental leave for eligible primary caregivers, and 2 calendar weeks for eligible secondary caregivers.
- Includes births, adoption or long-term fostering of a child up to the age of 16.
- This incentive applies to all current RVTS registrars from 2026.
To view the most up to date policy and FAQs, please visit GP Training Incentive Payments | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
For RVTS registrars, the incentive will be paid by RVTS Ltd.
How to apply
Applications can be submitted via RVTS Online and will be processed in accordance with the Department policy.
Goals
Intended outcomes of the incentive payments are to:
- Encourage more doctors to enter GP training
- Bridge the gap between hospital-based and community-based specialty training entitlements
- Support doctors, including their wellbeing, during GP training
- Improve access to quality GP services for patients
Why it is important
The GP Training Incentive Payments will provide better conditions for GP registrars to help attract more doctors to start a career in general practice. More doctors joining GP training will support Australian communities to access GP services.
Policy & FAQs
To view the most up to date policy and FAQs, please visit GP Training Incentive Payments | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
