I hope this message finds you well. This month has been another busy month with GPRA advocating fiercely on GP registrars’ behalf – regardless of their training pathway.
Earlier this month, we celebrated International Women’s Day. In the 21 March edition of our eNews, we included a compilation of links for your reference for women’s health. Also, important information for Queensland members regarding the JCU transition of training back to the Colleges.
Recently, GPRA has been engaging members in Western Australia, where we participated in College orientations, hosted a members event sponsored by Avant on 7 March as well as presented two workshops at the WA Rural Health Conference 2024. In each of these events, we seized the opportunity to engage directly with key WA policy makers and stakeholders, articulating the pressing issues facing future GPs.
I am pleased to announce that GPRA has signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with our fellow independent peak General Practice Supervision Australia (GPSA). This marks a pivotal moment in our history. The agreement focuses on strengthening the future of general practice for the benefit of all Australians, emphasising the value of continued independence in representing our members. While our members may represent different viewpoints, our shared goal remains unwavering – to sustain viable general practice and ensure Australians continue to have access to quality GPs.
A key component of the MoU is to collaborate on updating the National Terms and Conditions for the Employment of Registrars (NTCER). We’re keen to hear your views over the next quarter and will be setting up a working group to support the update. If you’re interested in being a member of the working group, please complete this Expression of Interest form. Additionally, we’ll be hosting online consultations regarding the NTCER update, so please also keep an eye out for future sessions.
Thank you to our members who tuned in this week to our first webinar of the year, ‘Understanding the NTCER and GP trainee employment arrangements’. A massive thank you to our presenter, GPRA Registrar Advisor Dr Sama Balasubramanian, who did a tremendous job explaining the intricacies of the NTCER, and how it applies to registrars working in a general practice setting. If you didn’t have the chance to join the webinar, I recommend that you watch the recording on our YouTube channel. Also, please take some time to visit our website where you will find other NTCER useful resources, including FAQs and information.
GPRA continues to advocate for GP trainee employment conditions and investment in peer initiatives. It has been positive to see that the sector is in principle agreement across these critical issues, however our solution is about independence, sustainability and efficiency in administration, and we’re always keen to hear your feedback. You can check out other policy matters in this newsletter which we are also keen to hear members’ feedback on.
A final reminder that the application period for our GPRA NT Scholarships closes next Thursday (28 March). With $75,000 available across the four prestigious scholarships for both NT and non-NT based GPs in training, it underscores our commitment to continue to attract and support future GPs across the NT. I encourage you to find out more and apply.
Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement with GPRA. Let’s continue to work together to shape the future of general practice.
