April advocacy
I recently attended the Rural Doctors Association of Australia’s (RDAA) Annual Politicians Forum at Parliament House. RDAA continues to advocate strongly for rural communities, saying the time for action is right now. Former President and current rural GP Dr Adam Coltzau led an inspiring panel of our upcoming leaders, who talked about their hopes for the future of the rural workforce and what’s needed to support doctors of all specialities to provide sustainable healthcare to our rural and remote communities.
We’re eagerly awaiting the federal budget in early May to see which of the advocacy priorities the RACGP have been putting forward will be implemented. We’ll continue to advocate strongly for a meaningful financial commitment and investment in general practice and tailored solutions for our remote and rural workforce.
Obstetric workforce shortages in Queensland have been a big focus for media outlets this month, and we acknowledge this is a well-known national challenge. On a positive note, the RACGP was pleased to see Queensland Health reach out to the GP community seeking help from GP obstetricians and GP anaesthetist-trained doctors. We hope state governments continue to realise the importance of a well-supported rural generalist community for the benefit of regional and rural communities across Australia.
Our Rural Procedural Grants Program (RPGP) team attended the 2023 RANZCOG Regional Symposium in Hobart to engage with specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology, GP obstetricians, rural GPs, medical students and other stakeholders. It proved a great opportunity to promote the RPGP, our faculty, and rural GP and rural generalist careers.
Register for big 2023 events
I encourage you to start planning for and booking your spot at WONCA, hosted by the RACGP in Sydney on 26–29 October. The program has just been released so take a look at what is on offer, in particular the rural education.
Finally, don’t miss the 2023 Practice Owners National Conference in Adelaide on 20–21 May, where we’ll be talking about rural general practice and covering hot topics like incorporating CPD into daily practice, supporting international medical graduates and optimising technology for clinical care and sustainable practice.
Assoc Prof Michael Clements
Chair, RACGP Rural
|
|
|