CYBER: Partnered Health Breach – 3 WA Clinics Affected:
Patient data was stolen from 21 clinics nationally, including three in WA, following a breach on 23 June 2026. The incident was disclosed on 15 July, creating potential risk for Bupa’s proposed $450 million acquisition of Partnered Health.
MIGRATION: MD119 Reshapes IMG Visa Priority from 25 July:
Healthcare occupations, including GPs, are now Priority 3 under the new Ministerial Direction 119, placing them ahead of most other occupations. Onshore applicants receive higher processing priority than offshore applicants.
RACGP CCE 2026.1 Results:
The RACGP reported a 79% overall pass rate, with 850 of 1,076 candidates passing. Results were released on 22 July 2026, with first-attempt candidates achieving an 81.9% pass rate. Cases covered Aboriginal health, TIA, asthma, diabetes and complex aged care.
AHPRA Criminal History Standard Updated:
AHPRA’s revised Criminal History Registration Standard came into effect on 15 July 2026. The new standard includes an explicit incompatibility clause and a new application guide and applies to all health practitioner registrations, including IMG GPs.
3 WA Clinics + $450M Bupa Deal + Cyberattack = The Month’s Defining Crisis
On 23 June 2026 — five days after Bupa announced its proposed $450 million acquisition of Partnered Health — a malicious actor breached Partnered Health’s network and extracted patient records.
The breach was not disclosed until 15 July, representing a 22-day delay that attracted criticism from cybersecurity and privacy experts. Data was confirmed as taken from 16 of the 21 affected clinics across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT. The information included Medicare numbers, pathology results, consultation notes and DVA card details.
Three Western Australian clinics have been confirmed as affected. An interim NSW Supreme Court injunction prohibits the use or publication of the stolen information.
The breach has been reported to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement agencies. It also introduces significant execution risk for Bupa’s acquisition of Partnered Health, which remains subject to ACCC and FIRB approval.
This is the most significant cyber incident affecting WA primary care since the Medibank data breach.
RACGP and ACRRM establish Joint Consultative Committee on Rural Generalist Medicine. The Joint Consultative Committee on Rural Generalist Medicine was established on 17 July 2026, with National Rural Health Commissioner Professor Jenny May AM invited to chair. The committee provides formal governance to advance Rural Generalist Medicine nationally, initially focusing on standards, curriculum and advanced skills training.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said Rural Generalists play a critical role in delivering care and that greater collaboration would strengthen training, standards and support for doctors working in rural, remote and First Nations communities.
For WA, where 130 of the state’s 251 current AGPT registrars are undertaking rural pathways, the committee has direct relevance to the future GP workforce pipeline.
RACGP media release, 17 July 2026; ACRRM, July 2026
RACGP faculties welcome new Fellows as unprecedented GP training growth continues. A total of 167 new specialist GPs were welcomed into full independent practice as RACGP Fellows in Victoria during July 2026, described by the college as its largest-ever state cohort.
WA’s mid-year Fellowship ceremonies are expected to reflect a similarly elevated cohort. New Fellows entering community practice in WA from July 2026 begin with provider numbers eligible for Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program registration from day one.
RACGP media release, July 2026
AGPT 2027 second intake cancelled — all available places filled in the main round. The second AGPT intake for 2027, which was scheduled to open from 7–28 July 2026, was cancelled after all available training places were filled during the main intake round.
Main-round outcomes were released on 24 June. This is the first time in the history of the AGPT program that every available place has been allocated during the main intake, signalling unprecedented demand and increasing pressure on the GP training pipeline.
DXC Medical / RACGP confirmed via briefing research, July 2026
RACGP CCE 2026.1 results released — 79% overall pass rate. The RACGP released the Clinical Competency Exam results on 22 July 2026. Of the 1,076 candidates who completed the exam remotely on 13–14 and 20–21 June, 850 passed, producing an overall pass rate of 79%.
First-attempt candidates achieved an 81.9% pass rate, compared with 66.9% for second-attempt candidates and 64.5% for third-attempt candidates. The pass rate dropped to 28.6% for fourth-attempt candidates and 20% for candidates completing their fifth or subsequent attempt.
The exam comprised nine clinical cases, including four case discussions and five clinical encounters. Topics included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, suspected breast cancer, TIA and stroke, complex aged care, rural diabetes management and acute asthma exacerbation.
The pass mark was set using the borderline regression method, with no fixed percentage cut score or candidate quotas. Clinical Management and Therapeutic Reasoning accounted for the largest competency weighting at 25%, followed by Communication and Consultation Skills at 22% and Diagnosis, Decision-Making and Reasoning at 21%.
For WA registrars, the 2026.1 CCE cohort feeds directly into the mid-year Fellowship group beginning independent practice.
RACGP Exam Report 2026.1 CCE; RACGP candidate portal, 22 July 2026
Rural Health West WIP Doctor Stream applications close 31 December 2026. Rural Health West administers the Flexible Payment System for the Workforce Incentive Program Doctor Stream for doctors who have completed eligible rural and remote primary care work in MM3–MM7 locations.
Eligible vocationally registered doctors can receive between $4,500 and $60,000, while non-VR doctors can receive between $3,600 and $48,000, depending on rurality and the volume of eligible work.
The WIP Rural Advanced Skills component, covering emergency medicine, obstetrics, anaesthetics, mental health and First Nations health, provides payments of up to $21,000 per year for up to four claims between 2023 and 2026.
WA doctors working in MM3–MM7 locations should confirm their eligibility before the program closes on 31 December 2026.
Rural Health West / Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; RDWA, 2026
Rural Health West scholarship round expected in the second half of 2026. The Health Workforce Scholarship Program offers scholarships of up to $10,000 per year for postgraduate study and bursaries of up to $10,000 for professional development.
The program is available to eligible health professionals working in MM3–MM7 locations. The May 2026 application round has closed, with WA practitioners encouraged to monitor Rural Health West for the next round.
Rural Health West, May 2026
WA junior doctor recruitment pools expected to reopen during July and August. The Cook Government’s annual junior doctor recruitment campaign for the 2027 hospital cohort closed on 22 June 2026, with WACHS rural and regional positions featured prominently.
New Semester 2 District Medical Officer and GP registrar pools are expected to reopen through MedCareersWA during July and August, offering relocation, travel and training support alongside Commonwealth AGPT salary incentives.
WA Government media statement, 25 May 2026; MedCareersWA, July 2026
University of Notre Dame Australia Fremantle ranks second nationally for GP training uptake. A joint RACGP and ACRRM University of Origin report found that 50.5% of University of Notre Dame Australia Fremantle graduates enrolled in GP training during 2025.
This was the second-highest rate nationally, behind James Cook University at 52%. The university also ranked strongly for metropolitan GP training, indicating that WA’s local medical graduate pipeline continues to support future GP workforce growth.
RACGP/ACRRM University of Origin report, March 2026
15 WA UCCS OPERATING | 137 NATIONAL CLINIC TARGET ACHIEVED
No new WA UCC openings, tenders or funding announcements in July 2026. Western Australia’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinic network remains at 15 operational sites, with WAPHA confirming there are no current tender opportunities.
The national network has reached its target of 137 clinics. Nous Group’s independent evaluation of the program, covering 2023–2026, remains underway.
No significant operational changes or updates to previously reported WA data were identified during July.
WAPHA urgent-care-clinics page, accessed July 2026; Department of Health
MBS indexation confirmed at 2.6% — RACGP says the increase remains inadequate. From 1 July 2026, most GP attendance items, diagnostic imaging services and specified pathology items received a 2.6% indexation increase. Standard Level B consultation rebates, including items 23 and 36, increased accordingly.
The RACGP described the increase as better than a freeze but inadequate compared with general CPI of 4.2%, health-specific CPI of 4% and approved private health insurance premium increases of 4.41%.
The college has renewed its call for an independent body to determine Medicare rebates. Non-VR doctor attendance items were excluded from the indexation increase.
MBS Online July 2026 news; ClinicComply; newsGP / RACGP, June–July 2026
Mandatory My Health Record uploads commence for pathology and imaging reports. From 1 July 2026, providers are required to upload diagnostic imaging and pathology reports to My Health Record.
This creates an additional compliance obligation for WA GP practices and may require changes to referral workflows, software configuration and internal processes.
MBS Online / ClinicComply, July 2026
GP Chronic Condition Management Plans replace GPMPs and TCAs. From 1 July 2026, the new GP Chronic Condition Management Plan replaced the former GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangement.
The requirement to consult with two separate providers has been removed, increasing patient choice. A transition period allowing the previous items to be billed continues until 30 June 2027.
Practices should ensure their management systems have been updated with the new item numbers.
MBS Online July 2026; GP Care Plans, July 2026
Adult pneumococcal vaccination schedule updated from 1 July 2026. Changes to Australia’s adult pneumococcal vaccination schedule affect the MBS items that apply to eligible patients.
WA practices should review vaccine stock, patient eligibility and billing item alignment under the updated schedule.
CESPHN Immunisation Update; Department of Health, July 2026
Assignment of Benefit verbal consent transition is underway. The Assignment of Benefit reform commenced on 1 July 2026. Practices using verbal consent during the 12-month transition period must retain appropriate documentation and ensure their billing software supports the new process.
The RACGP continues to work with the Department of Health on enduring Assignment of Benefit agreements, which would allow a single consent to remain valid for future consultations.
WA practice managers should confirm their compliance arrangements with their software provider.
Department of Health FAQs, updated 10 June 2026; Best Practice Software; Tyro Health, July 2026
No new WA BBPIP data published in July 2026. The most current public information remains more than 3,700 practices registered nationally and a national GP bulk billing rate of 81.4% in April 2026.
Briefing review, July 2026
Cyber incident — 15 July 2026: Partnered Health breach affects 21 clinics nationally, including three in WA. A malicious actor accessed Partnered Health’s network on 23 June 2026, five days after Bupa announced its proposed acquisition of the organisation.
The incident was disclosed to patients on 15 July. Data was confirmed as taken from 16 of the 21 affected clinics across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT. The information included Medicare numbers, pathology results, consultation notes and DVA card details.
Three WA clinics have been confirmed as affected, with investigations continuing into five additional clinics nationally. An interim NSW Supreme Court injunction prohibits the use or publication of the stolen information.
The breach has been reported to the OAIC, Australian Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement agencies.
Partnered Health patient notification, 15 July 2026; Insurance Business Australia; The Zoo, July 2026
Bupa–Partnered Health deal remains under review — value confirmed at approximately $450 million. Bupa’s proposed acquisition of Partnered Health Group remains subject to ACCC and FIRB approval.
Separately, Partnered Health’s proposed acquisition of Medicine on Second in Maroochydore became the first GP practice transaction formally notified under Australia’s mandatory ACCC merger regime on 3 July 2026.
Initial Phase 1 submissions closed on 10 July, with a determination expected before 14 August 2026. The broader Bupa acquisition had not appeared separately on the ACCC register as of 16 July.
The Zoo, 10 and 16 July 2026; ACCC acquisitions register, accessed July 2026
Bethesda Health Care to take over Bupa’s WA facility operations in a separate deal. The WA Government has brokered an agreement for Bethesda Health Care to take over the operation of a Bupa facility in Western Australia.
This arrangement is separate from the proposed Partnered Health acquisition and reflects continued restructuring of Bupa’s WA healthcare footprint.
Hospital Health, July 2026
No other WA primary care M&A transactions announced in July 2026. No publicly reported deals involving ForHealth, Brecken Health, Jupiter Health, Spectrum Health, GP West, IPN or Sonic Health Plus were identified during the month.
Briefing review, July 2026
~$450M – BUPA–PARTNERED DEAL VALUE | 21 – CLINICS AFFECTED BY BREACH, INCLUDING 3 IN WA | 22 – DAYS BEFORE PATIENTS WERE NOTIFIED | 15% – GROUP GP PRACTICES OWNED BY INSURERS
Quadrant Private Equity’s Partnered Health exit complicated by cyberattack. Quadrant’s proposed $450 million sale of Partnered Health to Bupa, announced on 19 June 2026, now faces additional deal-execution risk following the cyberattack on 23 June.
The breach introduces potential cyber liability, OAIC enforcement, patient trust concerns and the possibility that deal conditions may need to be renegotiated. Legal experts have noted that an incident of this scale occurring during the regulatory clearance period is unusual.
The Zoo; Insurance Business Australia, July 2026
First GP practice merger determination expected by 14 August. The ACCC’s Phase 1 determination regarding Partnered Health’s proposed acquisition of Medicine on Second in Maroochydore is expected by 14 August 2026.
The review is the first GP practice transaction assessed under the new mandatory ACCC notification framework. The timetable and outcome are expected to influence how future private equity, insurer and corporate primary care transactions are structured.
The Zoo, 10 July 2026; ACCC acquisitions register
No additional WA private equity transactions reported in July. No new platform acquisitions, capital raises or exits involving WA GP or allied health assets were identified beyond the Quadrant and Partnered Health transaction.
Private equity-backed operators are expected to closely monitor the Bupa–Partnered Health regulatory process before pursuing further WA consolidation.
Briefing review / The Zoo, July 2026
AHPRA’s revised Criminal History Registration Standard is now in force. The revised standard commenced on 15 July 2026 following two public consultations and approval from the Ministerial Council.
The changes include an explicit compatibility clause, meaning practitioners cannot have a criminal history considered incompatible with registration. A new application guide, dedicated definitions and clarification regarding students, serious juvenile offending and decriminalised offences have also been introduced.
The standard applies to all registered health professions, including GPs and IMG doctors, at initial registration and renewal.
AHPRA; Optometry Australia; Hospital Health; Empowering Independence, July 2026
AHPRA medical registration renewal deadline is 30 September 2026. Medical practitioners must renew their registration by 30 September and declare compliance with the four mandatory registration standards.
The current medical CPD standard requires 50 hours of CPD each calendar year through an AMC-accredited CPD home. This includes 25 hours reviewing performance and measuring outcomes, with at least five hours completed in each activity type, 12.5 hours of educational activities and 12.5 hours from any category.
Practitioners must also prepare a professional development plan before commencing their CPD activities for the year. WA practices with large GP teams should consider incorporating renewal tracking into their internal systems.
ClinicComply AHPRA CPD renewal guide; AHPRA Medical Board, accessed July 2026
AHPRA CPD consultation closed on 17 July — no new standard approved. AHPRA and the National Boards consulted on a proposed common CPD standard requiring 20 hours per year, plus five interactive hours, for professions other than medicine.
The consultation closed on 17 July 2026. No revised standard has been approved or provided with a commencement date, and the existing 50-hour medical CPD requirement remains in force.
ClinicComply AHPRA CPD renewal guide, July 2026
Ministerial Direction 119 places healthcare GPs at Priority 3 for skilled visa processing. Ministerial Direction 119 came into effect on 25 July 2026, replacing Ministerial Direction 105.
For the first time, the Skills in Demand Subclass 482 visa is fully included in the processing framework. Priority is now determined by both the applicant’s occupation and location at the time of application.
Healthcare occupations, including doctors and GPs, are classified as Priority 3 for onshore applicants and Priority 4 for offshore applicants. Law enforcement and defence occupations hold Priorities 1 and 2.
The direction applies retrospectively to applications that were already lodged but had not been decided. This may benefit WA practices sponsoring IMG GPs, particularly where candidates are already onshore.
Department of Home Affairs; Ethos Migration; Emigrate Lawyers; BAL Immigration; RACC, July 2026
Skilled visa income thresholds increased from 1 July 2026. The Core Skills Income Threshold increased from $76,515 to $79,423, affecting Subclass 482 Core Skills and Subclass 186 employer-sponsored nominations.
The Specialist Skills Income Threshold increased from $141,210 to $146,576 for the Subclass 482 Specialist Skills stream. The income threshold for Subclass 494 regional visas was also aligned to $79,423.
Visa application charges increased by up to 25% across most subclasses. All new nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 must meet the new thresholds. Existing visa holders and nominations lodged before 1 July are unaffected.
KPMG Flash Alert 2026-181; Interstaff; Migration Alliance; Visa Envoy, July 2026
Goldfields DAMA extended until 31 December 2026. The Department of Home Affairs extended the Goldfields Designated Area Migration Agreement for six months following uncertainty surrounding the planned transition to the statewide WA DAMA.
Employers in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Coolgardie, Esperance and other Goldfields locations can continue accessing eligible overseas workers under the existing 145-occupation list, with at least 500 places available each financial year.
From 1 January 2027, Goldfields employers will transition to the WA DAMA administered through the Department of Training and Workforce Development. Applications under the new framework have been accepted since 8 June 2026.
Migration WA; Interstaff; SCA Connect; Mondaq, July 2026
Permanent Migration Program remains at 185,000 places for 2026–27. The Federal Government has retained the permanent migration planning level at 185,000 places, with greater emphasis on skilled migrants, onshore applicants and occupations addressing critical workforce shortages.
Healthcare remains a prioritised sector. Offshore IMG GP pathways remain available but may face greater competition due to the increased processing priority given to onshore applicants under Ministerial Direction 119.
Department of Home Affairs / Immivisa, 2026
For local market insights and tailored advice for both doctors and practices, contact:
Adelene Chew
Senior Consultant
DXC Medical Perth
+61 430 037 389
adelene.chew@dxcmedical.com.au
Practical Advice for International GPs to Set Yourself Up for Success For many international GPs, securing that first role in Australia is the culmination of months, or even years, of planning, exams, registration processes, visa applications and relocation preparations. But while obtaining a position is a significant milestone, the real learning often begins once you start practising in the Australian healthcare system.
Welcome to our July edition of the WA Primary Care Update series, your source for the latest news, workforce developments, policy changes, and opportunities affecting general practice and primary healthcare across Western Australia. Stay up to date with the information that matters most to GPs, practice owners, and healthcare professionals.
