New report finds some GPs experience racism from colleagues, patients
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is calling for a "comprehensive response" to systemic racism after a new report found its prevalence in Australia's healthcare system.
The RACGP's 2025 Health of the Nation report revealed that 30% of GPs observed racism towards patients in the broader health system.
Around two in 10 GPs also personally experienced racism from a patient, while one in 10 experienced it from a colleague.
Michael Wright, president of the RACGP, said the findings indicate that action and resources are needed to tackle systemic racism in the health system.
"Racism in the health system is an issue that affects healthcare workers and patients alike. It is not something we can ignore, and it is certainly not something that will fix itself," Wright said in a statement.
Wider action needed
The RACGP has already implemented an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and health training framework to support culturally safe care.
However, Wright called for wider action to eliminate racism.
"It is time for a comprehensive response to tackling systemic racism in the health system, including establishing a taskforce to implement recommendations from the National Anti-Racism Framework," the RACGP president said.
The RACGP called on the government to fund resources that monitor, measure, and prevent racism in primary care.
"Racism is complex, multifaceted, and to many people, invisible," Wright said.
"You can't address racism until you can measure how prevalent it is, how it affects patients and general practice team members, and monitor which actions and strategies help eliminate it."
According to Wright, racism can cause stress and contribute to poorer outcomes across a range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and psychological distress.
"We need to co-design health policy with patients and healthcare providers from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds, and implement meaningful reform to ensure our health system is safe for everyone in Australia," he added.
