Record Number of Graduate Doctors Join Queensland Health in 2026
Queensland has achieved a major milestone in building its future healthcare workforce, welcoming a record 930 first-year graduate doctors into Queensland Health hospitals across the state the largest intake in the state’s history.
For the first time, Queensland has attracted more new graduate doctors than any other state or territory, surpassing last year’s record of over 880 recruits. The milestone marks a central step in the Crisafulli Government’s plan to deliver easier access to health services and strengthen frontline care across Queensland.
At the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital today, Health and Ambulance Services Minister Tim Nicholls met with 94 of the new doctors beginning their careers in 2026. He said the record intake demonstrates Queensland’s growing appeal as a destination for medical graduates.
“This record intake of the next generation of doctors shows our plan to grow our workforce is working,” Minister Nicholls said. “Attracting and retaining doctors from the start of their medical careers means more accessible care and better health outcomes for Queenslanders.”
Minister Nicholls emphasised that the government’s commitment to workforce expansion is a key part of its long-term goal to add 46,000 additional health staff by 2032, addressing growing demand after what he described as “a decade of decline under Labor.”
He said discussions with new recruits had given him confidence that Queensland’s next generation of doctors are “ready to step into the frontline and continue making a real difference in their communities.”
The 2026 cohort will gain hands-on experience through clinical rotations in areas such as emergency medicine, cardiology, orthopaedics, anaesthetics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, intensive care, mental health, general medicine and surgery.
Regional and rural hospitals will also benefit from the expansion, with first-year doctors assigned to hospitals in Townsville, Cairns, Hervey Bay, Rockhampton, Mackay, and other regional centres.
Minister Nicholls noted that nationally, Queensland led all states in graduate doctor applications for 2026, overtaking both New South Wales and Victoria.
“This speaks volumes about the reputation of our hospitals, the Queensland lifestyle, and the opportunities we provide for young doctors,” he said.
Among the new recruits, 56 doctors have chosen the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway, a specialist training program preparing doctors to deliver high-quality care in rural, regional, and remote communities.
The distribution of new graduate doctors across Queensland includes:
- Metro North: 203
- Metro South: 166
- Gold Coast: 107
- Sunshine Coast: 79
- Townsville: 74
- Darling Downs: 61
- West Moreton: 52
- Cairns and Hinterland: 68
- Central Queensland: 43
- Wide Bay: 36
- Mackay: 36
- North West: 6
Minister Nicholls said the record intake represents a “fresh start” for Queensland’s health system, reinforcing the government’s focus on building capacity and improving accessibility to care statewide.
“We’re investing in the health system now for the future to ensure Queenslanders have access to world-class healthcare no matter where they live,” he said
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