James Cook University calling for additional medicine CSPs to boost Cairns intake to 120 by 2030

New modelling shows Queensland could be short 4700 medical practitioners in eight years. With Cairns set to welcome a second urgent care clinic, what’s the plan to staff our practices?

With Cairns promised a second Medicare urgent care clinic by both major parties, questions now remain on staffing it and other health practices. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

A bipartisan commitment ensuring Cairns’ second urgent care clinic doesn’t guarantee the facility won’t face its share of GP recruitment challenges, as a North Queensland university flexes it muscle in training graduates for regional centres.

The Far North has struggled recruiting health professionals of all disciplines including the shortage of mental health workers, radiologists, obstetricians and general practitioners well documented.

The Cairns Post recently reported the city had lost five GP surgeries in 12 months linked mostly to claims of insufficient Medicare rebates, and rising cost of living pressures impacting all small Australian businesses.

However, Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dr Nick Yim said recruitment issues were also impacting clinics.

The Trinity GPs doctor surgery in Smithfield will close down permanently from Friday, January 24. Picture: Supplied

“The medical workforce shortage is also contributing to many GP closures, with GPs among the list of specialists in shortest supply.”

With a bipartisan commitment towards a second urgent care clinic locked in, the public practice’s welcome presence will simultaneously add to already compounding pressures of recruiting GPs.

James Cook University in its 2025-25 federal budget submission called for a greater allocation of Commonwealth Supported Places for medicine, in a bid to boost its Cairns cohort from 20, to 120 domestic medicine undergraduate students by 2030.

“New modelling shows Queensland will have a workforce shortage of between 3162 and 4703 medical practitioners by 2033,” JCU’s budget submission read.

“To address this shortage, the importance of regional universities cannot be overstated with more than 65 per cent of employed regional university graduates remaining in regional areas on completion of their studies.”

While the federal budget will be handed down on Tuesday, health funding will be hotly debated in the lead up to the election with the sector now the Far North’s largest employer.

LNP Leichhardt candidate Jeremy Neal said he acknowledged the urgent care clinics would not be immune to staffing issues and claimed the Coalition “have a plan” to address GP shortages.

“The LNP announced last year that we will invest $400 million over four years to incentivise more junior doctors to train in general practice across Australia,” he said.

“This will ensure doctors who choose to take up the specialty won’t be financially disadvantaged over their counterparts who remain in the hospital environment.

LNP candidate for Leichhardt Jeremy Neal. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Since this has been announced, my job is to make sure that Far North Queensland gets its fair share of this funding.”

Labor’s Leichhardt candidate Matt Smith spoke of the federal government’s moves to allocation CSP to JCU’s Cairns campus in its 2022 budget as well as making legislative changes to declare the city as a Distribution Priority Area and fast track internationally trained doctors from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand.

Labor candidate for Leichhardt Matt Smith. Picture: Brendan Radke

“These are real, tangible steps to attract and retain doctors in our region – because locals deserve access to quality healthcare, close to home. And even better if it’s bulk billed, like Labor will ensure over the next few years,” he said.

Both parties have pledged nationally a $48.4m package for an extra 100 CSPs for medical students per year from 2026, increasing to 150 per year by 2028.

Originally published as James Cook University calling for additional medicine CSPs to boost Cairns intake to 120 by 2030