Hello GPRA members,

This month’s newsletter is a bit of a ‘call to action’.

We rely on our members to engage with us, either directly via our enquiries@gpra.org.au email, or via the Registrar Liaison Officer network within ACRRM or RACGP. Our social media (GPRA Facebook, GPRA Twitter/X and GPRA LinkedIn) is also another means of engagement. Over the past month and in the months coming, we have been working on numerous significant pieces of work at the request of the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care. Make no mistake, our working landscape is changing. You will all by now be familiar with the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce reforms slated and this will mean big changes to the way we practise our specialty and how we fit within the system to deliver care to Australians.

Alongside that is another project to scope, map and propose mechanisms to increase the attractiveness of General Practice. GPRA has worked tirelessly for many years on the key issues of base rate parity, paid parental leave, study leave, and a raft of other attraction and retention pieces. We rely on you, our members, to inform us and help shape our responses. There are a core group of your dedicated colleagues working on aspects of these projects with me and I want to take the opportunity to thank them publicly for their dedication and their quality of work. We will be asking for more volunteers in the near future and I ask you to consider being involved.

I had the pleasure of attending the Queensland RACGP Fellowship Ceremony last Wednesday (pictured above). It was so great to see many of you take your Oath of Fellowship and receive your parchments. Congratulations to all of you, your achievements are amazing and a testament to your dedication to the art and science of medicine.

Following closely by are those who are sitting their StAMPS exams – good luck to all of you. We’ll be cheering you on by the sideline.

At the fellowship ceremony, I met inspirational New Fellows Dr Joe Fang and Dr Alex Oo. Dr Fang has recently opened his own practice, as a New Fellow, at Mt Ommaney, working alongside Dr Oo. Similarly Dr Tatsuo Nagashima opened his practice in Brisbane city. I was so motivated to hear Dr Fang and Dr Oo’s passion and enthusiasm for their practice. I would love to hear from you if you have taken the courageous and exciting steps of opening your own business – either a traditional private practice or something more creative. Please do write to me at president@gpra.org.au so we can share your story.

October is almost upon us and we will see the commencement of our Board Directors election. There are two places this year up for grabs. The call for nominations shall be released mid-October, with voting commencing soon after. Successful nominees shall be announced at the November AGM. Please consider nominating. Being part of a Board is a transformative experience and I have learnt much, and continue to learn, from my Board colleagues and Board alumni.