Back

Health of the Nation shows stronger action needed to combat racism in healthcare

Royal Australian College of GPs

Ongoing racism aimed at patients, doctors, and healthcare workers is fuelling renewed calls for stronger Government action to tackle the devastating scourge plaguing Australia's health system.

New data from the RACGP's 2026 Health of the Nation report shows one in three GPs reported witnessing racism towards patients in the broader healthcare system in the past 12 months, while one in five also reported personally experiencing racism from a patient within their practice.

"These results show racism continues to affect patients, GPs, and healthcare workers across Australia,” RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said.

“The report also highlighted significant gaps in confidence when it comes to addressing racism, with only six in 10 GPs reporting they felt confident challenging racism in the healthcare system.

“Psychosocial safety is something that all health services need to take seriously to protect both our patients and our clinicians. GPs and GPs in training should feel safe to speak up, ask for help, and challenge racism and other discrimination where they, their patients, or their colleagues experience it.”

Dr Wright said better monitoring and measurement of racism is critical to driving meaningful change.

"The RACGP has been raising concerns about racism in healthcare for years. Support for GPs and other healthcare workers to identify, address, and respond to racism is long overdue,” he said.

“In order to see change, we want the Federal Government to provide funding to monitor and measure racism in general practice and primary healthcare, alongside training for GPs and practice teams and the development of supporting processes and guidance.

"Importantly, these initiatives must be co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and culturally marginalised groups to ensure they accurately capture lived experiences and support meaningful action.

"You can't fix what you don't measure. Robust tools to monitor and measure racism across all healthcare settings will help us better understand where it occurs, how it affects patients and healthcare workers, and which interventions are making a difference.”

In a recent submission to the Senate inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the RACGP reiterated its call to all levels of government to adopt the National Anti-Racism Framework and invest in its implementation.

"Addressing racism requires commitment, investment, and accountability," Dr Wright said.

"Governments have an opportunity to take meaningful action by implementing the National Anti-Racism Framework and supporting the development of practical tools that help healthcare services identify, monitor, and respond to racism.

"No healthcare professional should face racism at work, and no patient should experience racism when accessing healthcare.

"The RACGP is committed to understanding more about the experiences of our members and their patients, and to help build a healthcare system free from racism.

"Every Australian deserves safe, respectful, and culturally responsive healthcare. Racism has no place in our health system."

~ENDS

About us:

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the voice of general practitioners (GPs) in our growing cities and throughout rural and remote Australia. For more than 60 years, we’ve supported the backbone of Australia’s health system by setting the standards for education and practice and advocating for better health and wellbeing for all Australians.

View more RACGP media releases on our website. To unsubscribe from RACGP media releases, contact Medianet or update your preferences.

Contact details: