Overview
From 1 January 2026, registrars who were training under the Rural Generalist Training Scheme (RGTS) transitioned to the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) funded pathway of the ACRRM Rural Generalist Fellowship Program.
Unifying the funding pathways enabled ACRRM to offer a training program with greater clarity, simplicity and funding equity for registrars, training posts and supervisors.
What changed?
Registrars
Day-to-day training for registrars remained the same following their transition to AGPT. Education delivery, training requirements, placement processes and assessments remained unchanged.
The consolidation streamlined training delivery, and registrars can now access financial support and incentives through the ACRRM Flexible Funds program in line with the Nationally Consistent Payments (NCP) framework.
Employee arrangements
Registrars who were engaged by their primary care training post on a contractor basis were required to transition to an employee arrangement that met at least the minimum conditions outlined in the National Terms and Conditions for the Employment of Registrars (NTCER) in time for Semester 1, 2026.
Walking through the changes
Learn about the consolidation through ACRRM & GPRA's webinar.
Note: information was correct at the time of recording (October 2025).
Supervisors and training posts
Supervisors and training posts who previously engaged RGTS registrars can learn about how the changes affect their day-to-day work.
The transition to AGPT
From 1 January 2026, ACRRM registrars who transitioned to AGPT as part of the consolidation should have:
- Registered for a PRODA account and added bank details
- Provided ACRRM with bank details through MyCollege
- Provided ACRRM with their STEM ID through MyACRRM
- Applied for a new Medicare Provider Number (MPN)
- Notified their indemnity insurer about their transition to AGPT
- Become an employee of their training post (if they aren't already), ensuring the NTCER minimum conditions are met
- Familiarised themselves with the payments available through the AGPT funded program.
Registrars should contact their training program advisor if they have not completed any of these steps or require support.
Practical scenarios
We know every registrar’s situation is different. To make things clearer, we’ve outlined some common scenarios that show how payments, education, and contractor arrangements have changed since the consolidation.
General
Dr Smith commenced their AST placement in Semester 2, 2025 under the RGTS. They will continue in the same AST placement into Semester 1, 2026, after the program transitions to the consolidated ACRRM Rural Generalist Fellowship Program.
In Semester 2, 2025, Dr Smith received their registrar support payment as usual under RGTS.
When Semester 1, 2026 begins, their payments will shift to the National Consistent Payments (NCP) Framework with access to ACRRM Flexible Funds.
An assessment will be conducted to ensure Dr Smith is not disadvantaged. If there is a gap between what they received under RGTS and what they are entitled to under NCP, the balance will be paid to them in 2026.
Dr Smith would have been eligible to receive a payment of $9,250 per semester under RGTS (totaling $18,500 for the year). By transitioning to AGPT, Dr Smith would have a funding gap of $12,500.
Dr Smith will be eligible to submit an application through Flexible Funds for the gap of $12,500, to ensure they are not financially worse off under AGPT.
Dr Lee began their training on the RGTS in Semester 2, 2025. As part of their program, they are required to attend the face-to-face education workshops.
- In Semester 2, 2025, Dr Lee attends the Semester B workshop under the RGTS.
- In Semester 1, 2026, now under the consolidated program, they attend the Semester A workshop.
- Because Dr Lee is completing the workshops across the transition period, they are eligible for the $3,900 travel and accommodation subsidy.
This subsidy is designed to offset the costs of attending the required education sessions.
Dr Ho is an RGTS registrar with a placement that runs from Semester 2, 2025 into Semester 1, 2026. They want to know if they need a new Medicare Provider Number (MPN).
- Because Dr Ho is continuing in the same placement in 2026, they must apply for a new MPN with a start date of 1 January 2026, showing they are now funded under AGPT.
- If instead Dr Ho were starting a new placement in Semester 1, 2026, they would also need to apply for a new MPN to reflect the AGPT funded pathway from the semester start date.
- For registrars who finish their placement in 2025, their existing MPN will remain valid until the end of Semester 2, 2025.
Medicare has advised that the peak application period is late November, so registrars like Dr Ho should apply early to avoid delays in 2026.
Dr James is an RGTS registrar planning to commence their Adult Internal Medicine AST at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA over 2026. Adelaide is identified as an MMM1 location.
If Dr James were to remain on RGTS, they would not have been eligible to receive a payment for the year, as Adelaide is an MM1 location.
When Dr James transitions to AGPT, they will be eligible for funding for this placement under Flexible Funds.
AGPT registrars commencing their AST are eligible to receive a payment of $6,000 to subsidise the costs associated with completing the AST.
By transitioning to AGPT, Dr James will be eligible to receive a payment of $6,000.
Dr Nguyen commenced their training under RGTS in early 2024 and has been training full-time since then. They have already received four training support payments (one each semester).
Through the transition of RGTS registrars to AGPT, ACRRM will acknowledge the payments already made to registrars. Dr Nguyen's payment history and their eligibility for future payments under the National Consistent Payments (NCP) framework will be reviewed by ACRRM to ensure that the appropriate payments are applied for Semester 1, 2026 onwards.
This means:
- ACRRM will review Dr Nguyen's eligibility based on the four payments they have already received while under RGTS.
- Dr Nguyen may be eligible for payments through Flexible Funds under the NCP framework, depending on their training location and circumstances.
- Any future payments for Dr Nguyen will be calculated on a pro-rata basis in-line with the NCP framework
Becoming an employee
From Semester 1, 2026, Dr Kotzee will move to the AGPT funded pathway, meaning their contractor arrangement can no longer continue under the requirements of the National Terms and Conditions for the Employment of Registrars (NTCER).
The training post will need to provide Dr Kotzee with an employment contract that meets the minimum conditions under the (NTCER). Dr Kotzee will then be paid via payroll as an employee, with superannuation and leave entitlements included.
The move to employee arrangements under AGPT doesn’t prevent flexible work but ensures minimum conditions.
Dr Healey can still negotiate additional conditions above the NTCER with their training post such as flexible rosters, high percentage of billings or agreed non-clinical activity provided the minimum NTCER conditions are met.
Dr Johnson’s contractor agreement currently includes teaching time and supervision, so they’re unsure if they need to change anything.
To transition to employee status:
- Dr Johnson reviews their contract and confirms they are still paid through their ABN, not payroll.
- Dr Johnson raises this with their employer, explaining that as a condition of the AGPT funded pathway they need to be engaged as an employee.
The practice updates the agreement to reflect a formal employee arrangement ensuring that the minimum NTCER conditions continue to be met.
Dr Devi is currently working as a contractor and prefers the independence and flexibility of invoicing through their ABN. When notified that all RGTS registrars transitioning into AGPT must be engaged as an employee from Semester 1, 2026, Dr Devi decides that they do not want to move to an employee arrangement.
To understand their options, Dr Devi:
- Speaks with their training post and confirms that they can remain engaged as a contractor only if they move to the self-funded Independent Pathway rather than AGPT.
- Learns that by choosing the Independent Pathway:
- They can stay in their current post as a contractor but will be required to self-fund the remainder of their progression on the Fellowship program.
- Will not be able to access Flexible Funds or other financial supports.
To make an informed decision, Dr Devi seeks further guidance and support by:
- Contacting a General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) Registrar Advisor for advice,
- Getting independent legal advice to understand the contractual implications,
- Calling the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) for clarification on employment rights and obligations.
After reviewing the financial and training implications, Dr Devi decides whether remaining a contractor on the self-funded pathway is sustainable, or whether transitioning to employee status under AGPT better supports their training.
Dr Martinez is a registrar who owns their rural training post. They currently pay themselves as a contractor and takes owner drawings.
With the transition to the AGPT funded pathway, all registrars (including owner-registrars) must be engaged as employees under the minimum conditions outlined in the NTCER by Semester 1, 2026.
What this means:
- Dr Martinez must formally employ themselves through their training post rather than continue as a contractor or drawing income.
- The employee arrangement must meet minimum NTCER conditions.
- This does not affect their ownership of the practice; it simply ensures she meets the requirements of the AGPT funded pathway.
Dr Martinez should seek advice from their accountant or business advisor on setting up an employment arrangement within their existing business structure.
Dr Burke’s percentage-of-billings arrangement often results in income above the NTCER minimum salary.
However, under the AGPT funded pathway, registrars must be engaged as employees and paid a guaranteed base salary that meets the NTCER minimum conditions including leave entitlements. The percentage-based incentives need to be paid on top of the base rate of pay outlined in the NTCER.
Before making this change, Dr Burke contacts General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) for advice and guidance on what should be included and to better understand their rights and entitlements as an employee.
Under the AGPT funded pathway, only employment arrangements for accredited primary care training posts must meet the NTCER minimum conditions. This means the NTCER applies solely to Dr Wilson’s employment at Rural Medical Clinic.
Dr Wilson may continue working at the urgent care clinic as usual, and the employment arrangements for that role can remain unchanged, as it is not an ACRRM-accredited primary care training post.
Resources
FAQs
Part-time registrars will now receive payments based on their FTE, instead of a fixed standard amount.
Registrars training part-time (less than 38 hours per week and/or fewer than 26 full-time weeks in a semester) will now receive pro-rata payments based on the number of hours worked, rather than a fixed standard amount.
Where registrars are placed in multiple MM locations during a semester, payments will now be split across those placements. If a core training term extends over multiple semesters, payments will be spread across those semesters accordingly.
The payment rates for FTE in each MM will remain the same. As per below:
- Payment for registrars training in MM 2: $1,800
- Payment for registrars training in MM 3-4: $3,425
- Payment for registrars training in MM 5: $4,810
- Payment for registrars training in MM 6-7: $9,250
Under AGPT, registrars are required to be employees, and their employment arrangements must meet the minimum conditions outlined in the National Terms and Conditions for the Employment of Registrars (NTCER).
Registrars are still able to negotiate additional terms with their training post above the NTCER minimums - for example, flexible rostering, billing arrangements or agreed non-clinical time - provided the minimum NTCER conditions are satisfied.
In many cases, existing arrangements may already meet or exceed these requirements. However, registrars should have reviewed their agreements and confirmed with their training post that their employment arrangements are compliant and aligned with NTCER requirements.
Indemnity insurers assess risk partly based on the registrar’s employment status, funding source, and the nature of their medical practice. A change in these factors could alter the terms of cover or premium.
Indemnity policies often require members to disclose changes in circumstances that could affect liability or risk exposure. If a registrar fails to notify their insurer, it could jeopardise their coverage in the event of a claim.