Who will be running your practice in 10 years? Supporting GP registrars' awareness and knowledge of practice ownership

Background With a declining Australian general practice workforce, succession planning for practice owners is a pertinent concern. Limited previous research and anecdotal evidence suggests there is minimal interest from general practice registrars in practice ownership. Objective We conducted a web based survey to investigate the interest of general practice registrars in the Australian Capital Territory and southeast New South Wales in practice ownership, perceived barriers to becoming an owner-operator, and preferred educational activities on this subject. Discussion We found more interest in practice ownership than previous research suggests. Insufficient knowledge, workload, bureaucracy and finance issues were perceived as barriers to ownership. The registrars favourably rated mentoring, release workshops, and an extended skills post as educational activities through which they prefer to attain skills in this field. Further investigation into effective practice ownership education delivery is warranted.