A GP's workday varies, but a full-time role often involves 37.5 to 40 hours weekly, spread across sessions of 3.5-4 hours, though many GPs work longer days (8-11+ hours) due to intense patient loads and administrative tasks, with some working part-time (2-3 days) for flexibility, and overtime common, especially with after-hours duties or in busy practices.
Many GPs work around 38 hours per week, and it's common to have evenings and weekends off—a rarity in many other countries.
FY26 Australian Salary Guide
According to the Australian Taxation Office, the average rate for GPs in 2024 is around AUD$90.85 per hour. However, it's worth noting that this is an average figure, and individual rates can vary significantly depending on the abovementioned factors.
The European Union of General Practitioners and BMA have recommended a safe level of patient contacts per day in order for a GP to deliver safe care at not more than 25 contacts per day.
Number of patients seen per hour
Longer and shorter sessions are possible and will change your annual earnings. Typically, GPs will average 4–5 patients per hour but this is largely dependent on your patient profile and practice mix.
UK GPs reported higher levels of emotional distress - with 71% of UK saying they find their job 'extremely' or 'very stressful' - the highest alongside Germany. Half of UK GPs believe the quality of care they are able to provide has worsened since before the pandemic, and only 14% thought it had improved.
How is the working week structured? In theory, the 40 hour working week is divided into 10 x 4 hour nominal sessions (7 clinical and 3 educational) but this does not fit well with most GP working days (often 8.30am to 6.30pm) so it is easier to think about it in terms of hours.
Global sum payment per weighted patient increases from £121.79 to £123.34; and. GMS Out of Hours (OOH) deduction remains at 4.75% in 2025/26, equating to £5.86.
Physicians say they typically see about 1% of their patient panel per day, meaning in a fee-for-service (FFS) model, primary care doctors often see 20 to 25 patients daily.
From today (1 October 2025), patients will be able to request appointments, ask questions and describe symptoms online throughout the day rather than calling their surgery or visiting in person. This will help free up practice phone lines for those who need them most, and make it more convenient to access appointments.
Jobs paying $500k+ in Australia are primarily in highly specialized fields like Medical Specialists (surgeons, anaesthetists), Senior Finance/Executive Roles (CFO, Head of Treasury, Investment Directors), and high-end Sales & Construction Management (Elite Stockbrokers, Senior Project Managers/Estimators in complex sectors). While roles like Neurosurgeon and Ophthalmologist average well over $500k, achieving this in other sectors often involves performance-based bonuses or leading major projects, with opportunities listed on job boards like SEEK and Jora.
The average GP salary in the UK is £87,884, which is £7,323 monthly. There is no set pay scale for GPs in the UK, your salary reflects your years of experience, level of responsibility, qualifications, and the UK nation where you are working.
Demand for GP services is increasing because our population is changing. Between June 2019 and June 2023, the Australian population grew by 5.2%. But more importantly, our population is ageing. Over the same period, the number of people aged 65 years and over increased by 13.1%.
Historically defined (British Medical Association) as just over 4 hours for a half day, they found that most GPs are working ≥6 hours per session, or 50% beyond what is contracted. The current reality of GP clinical work is that 3 clinical days equates to a full-time job.
No, Australia is not 90% white; while a large majority identify with European ancestry (around 76-80% in recent years), a significant and growing portion identifies as Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous, making it a highly multicultural nation with diverse ethnic backgrounds, not overwhelmingly white. Recent census data shows European ancestry (English, Irish, etc.) makes up a large chunk, but Asian ancestries are also substantial, with over 17% Asian population and around 3.8% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, per the 2021 census data from Wikipedia.
Easiest Doctor to Become: Family Doctor
The simple answer is that it takes the least amount of time. After your four years at medical school, (or a 3-year medical school) you can do a three-year family medicine residency, pass your board exams, and that's it, you're a doctor!
In its guide to 'Safe working in general practice', the BMA recommends that: A safe level of patient contacts for a GP is not more than 25 per day. However, the number of daily contacts considered 'safe' may vary according to the above factors. Practices should move to 15-minute appointments.
As an important step in becoming a doctor, medical students must take the Hippocratic Oath. And one of the promises within that oath is "first, do no harm" (or "primum non nocere," the Latin translation from the original Greek.)
MedCity News suggests the average patient load for a primary care provider should be around 1,000 patients. Many providers would laugh at this; the reality is closer to 2,500. The American Association for Physician Leadership says it's even higher, at 3,000.
A dispensing fee will also be paid for each item administered. Profits made on these drug purchases will therefore be largely dependent on the cost of these items. A typical non- dispensing GP practice would expect a drug profit of around 25-30%, while dispensing practices can aim for 30-35%.
Salaried GPs
The current GP salary varies from £10,000-£13,000 per session, depending on the city and your duties.
Emergency Medicine
Emergency medicine is the primary physician specialty with highest burnout. This field reports one of the highest stress levels due to its high-paced, high-acuity environment.
It's a physically, mentally, socially and emotionally exhausting job that we do for not a lot of money. We need to build our own boundaries. It can be hard to work in a job as heavily people-facing as medicine. In most specialties, doctors have significant patient contact.
Full-time general practice experience is defined as at least 38 hours distributed over a minimum of four days per week.