‘Winning the State of Origin’: Health minister hails Queensland’s record doctor intake

2 months ago 17

Queensland Health has announced the largest intake of medical interns in its history, with 931 graduate doctors set to begin rotations across the state’s hospitals this year.

Speaking at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital on Sunday, Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the milestone was a critical step towards strengthening the health workforce.

“This is the largest-ever intake of new interns in Queensland Health’s history,” he said.

Nearly 1000 new doctors will join Queensland hospitals in 2026.

“Not only is it the largest in Queensland’s history, we’re also winning the State of Origin because it is larger than the intake in New South Wales, and it is larger than the intake in Victoria.

“It just goes to show that a lot of young doctors are now making the choice to do their work here in Queensland, and that bodes well for the future of our health system.”

Nicholls said the new doctors would complete five 10-week rotations in various specialties, including emergency medicine and general surgery, across Queensland Health facilities from Brisbane to Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, and regional centres.

The program would give graduates a positive experience, he said, and encourage them to remain in the public health system for the long term.

“Not everyone will stay in our hospital system – we get that – but it’s important that people have a great experience here so that more and more people are given the opportunity to come back to the health system once they finish their work, once they finish their internship, and once they go through their professional admission procedures and make decisions about the specialties that they want to follow,” he said.

The announcement came as Queensland’s health services faced mounting pressure.

Nicholls said modelling showed the state would need 46,000 more health workers over the next decade.

“We know we’re going to need more clinicians,” he said. “That’s why we’ve done a gap analysis, and that’s why we’re also going to be delivering our workforce strategy, so we can show how we’re going to grow that workforce over the future,” he said.

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dr Nick Yim said the new doctors’ rotations would shape their understanding of modern medicine and patient care.

“These are the surgeons, the physicians, the psychiatrists, the pathologists, the radiologists and the general practitioners of tomorrow, and it’s crucial we look after them as they begin their medical journey,” he said.

Also on Nicholls’ mind is Queenslanders’ hesitancy to get vaccinated ahead of this year’s flu season.

“This is not a Queensland problem, this is a nationwide problem,” he said.

“We’re seeing it across the country that for various reasons, people are reluctant to be vaccinated, not just for flu, but for a variety of other preventable diseases as well.

“I always say – and you know I always say – get vaccinated.”

Nicholls said he was the first state health minister in Australia to authorise FluMist, a vaccine delivered via nasal spray.

“I’ve tried it out,” he said. “It’s completely and utterly painless, so we’ve ordered 500,000 doses of that to be available for the flu season.”

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