New survey results suggest general practice is beginning to recover after years of workforce shortages and intense financial pressure, but almost half of practices still have a GP vacancy and patients continue to feel the consequences of a system under strain.
The General Practice Owners Association, GenPro, says its latest Annual Pulse Survey shows improvement across almost every measure it has consistently tracked since the survey began.
GenPro Chair Dr Angus Chambers says the direction of travel is encouraging, but the organisation warns it is far too early to declare general practice recovered.
GP VACANCIES FALL — BUT ALMOST HALF STILL NEED DOCTORS
One of the strongest signs of improvement is in workforce numbers.
The proportion of general practices reporting a GP vacancy has fallen from 54 percent last year to 47 percent this year.
Nursing shortages have also eased, with practices reporting nurse vacancies falling from 23 percent to 18 percent.
But having almost one in every two practices still searching for a GP remains a major problem.
GP shortages affect how quickly patients can get appointments, continuity of care and whether practices have enough capacity to enrol new patients.
For communities already facing barriers to primary healthcare, including many Māori, rural and lower-income whānau, continued workforce shortages risk reinforcing existing problems accessing care.
FEWER PRACTICES LOSING MONEY
There are also signs that the financial position of general practice is beginning to stabilise.
The proportion of practices concerned about their future financial viability has dropped from 65 percent to 60 percent.
More significantly, the number reporting they were operating at a loss has fallen from 19 percent to 12 percent.
But another figure provides an important warning.
The proportion of practices reporting their overall financial position had worsened during the previous year actually increased from 23 percent to 27 percent.
It suggests the sector may have moved away from the edge of immediate crisis without resolving the underlying financial pressures.
GenPro also says more than half of practices are now charging patients for services that were previously free, another indication that some of the financial pressure is ultimately being felt by patients.
MORE PRACTICES OPENING THEIR BOOKS
There is better news for people trying to find a GP.
The proportion of practices accepting all new enrolments has increased from 36 percent to 39 percent.
At the same time, practices accepting no new patients fell sharply from 19 percent to 13 percent.
Service reductions are also becoming less common, falling from 29 percent of practices last year to 22 percent this year.
Those changes suggest additional capacity is slowly returning to parts of primary healthcare.
But with 47 percent of practices still carrying a GP vacancy, access remains vulnerable.
GENERAL PRACTICE IS THE FRONT DOOR TO HEALTHCARE
The findings matter because general practice is where much of the health system begins.
When people cannot see their GP early, manageable health problems can become more serious. Pressure can then move further into urgent care and hospital emergency departments.
For whānau Māori, improving primary healthcare access is particularly important because affordability, workforce shortages and geographic access can compound existing health inequities.
GenPro believes additional support provided over the past two years has helped halt some of the deterioration after what it describes as a prolonged period of under-investment.
Its message now is that the gains need to be consolidated rather than treated as evidence the problem has been solved.
HEALTH SHAPING UP AS AN ELECTION BATTLEGROUND
The survey arrives at a critical political moment as health becomes one of the major issues of Election 2026.
GenPro recently released its election manifesto, Seven Steps to Restore General Practice, calling for action to put family doctors on a sustainable financial footing, improve health outcomes and reduce patient waiting times.
The latest numbers suggest there has been progress.
GP vacancies are down. Nurse vacancies are down. Fewer practices are operating at a loss. More are accepting new patients and fewer are reducing services.
But 47 percent still have a GP vacancy, 60 percent remain concerned about their future financial viability, and more than half are charging for services that were once free.
General practice may have stepped back from the brink — but for thousands of whānau still struggling to find a doctor, afford an appointment or get seen when they need care, the recovery is far from complete.
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