Queensland hospitals, including facilities serving Noosa and the wider Sunshine Coast, will benefit from a record intake of first-year graduate doctors in 2026, as more than 930 new doctors begin their careers with Queensland Health.
The intake is the largest in the State’s history and, for the first time, national data shows Queensland has attracted more first-year graduate doctors than any other state, overtaking New South Wales and Victoria.
The Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, which includes Noosa Hospital and surrounding facilities, will welcome 79 first-year graduate doctors, strengthening frontline services during a period of sustained population growth and rising demand for healthcare.
Hospitals across the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service, including Hervey Bay and Bundaberg, will also see a boost, with 36 graduate doctors joining the region’s health workforce next year.
The State Government said the expanded intake was a key step in delivering easier access to health services and rebuilding the health workforce after years of pressure on the system.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said attracting graduates early in their careers was critical to improving access to care in both metropolitan and regional Queensland.
“This record intake of the next generation of doctors shows our plan to grow the workforce is working,” Minister Nicholls said.
“We know that attracting and retaining doctors at the start of their medical careers means more accessible care and better health outcomes for Queenslanders.”
Graduate doctors will rotate through key clinical areas including emergency medicine, surgery, paediatrics, mental health, obstetrics and gynaecology, intensive care and general medicine, helping to bolster hospital services during busy periods.
Regional and rural hospitals across Queensland will also benefit, with placements in centres such as Hervey Bay, Townsville, Cairns, Rockhampton and Mackay. Many graduates based in metropolitan hospitals will also have opportunities to undertake rural and remote rotations.
As part of the 2026 cohort, 56 graduates have already committed to the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway, supporting the delivery of high-quality care in regional and rural communities.
The State Government said the record intake brings Queensland closer to its goal of delivering 46,000 additional health staff by 2032 to meet growing demand across the health system.
