‘I like a challenge. I don’t want something boring’

Dr Cathy Kan has deep connections to her general practice.
 
Having completed her own training at Perth’s Spencer Road Family Practice, the GP is now one of the medical centre’s five owners.
 
As Chair of RACGP Special Interests Business of General Practice, as well as a member of the Business Viability Working Group, having a thriving clinic is paramount for Dr Kan.
 
‘Of course it’s important to be able to survive, but you can’t just always think about the profit margin,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘By doing the right thing, the patient appreciates it and so the patient will stay on.
 
‘We’re able to actually be flexible and to adapt to all the changes, and that’s probably the main thing for us.’
 
It comes as general practices across Australia are currently facing more pressure than ever before, including significant and controversial bulk billing reforms being rolled out in November.
 
According to the 2024 General Practice Business Viability Insights Report, 49% of the 217 participating general practices were displaying indicators of financial instability.
 
It found 47% of the practices can be considered ‘sound and stable’ and almost 60% said if a GP or registrar took leave for three months and was not replaced, the practice would be financially unstable.
 
For Dr Kan, she has found strength in creating a diverse practice, and said as the clinic grows, so does its offerings.
 
‘We have a very mixed population with all different cultures, as well as a very diverse demographic,’ she said.
 
‘We have GPs from all over the world – we have a GP from Pakistan, from India, I’m originally from Hong Kong, China and then also South Africa, and people that were born here.
 
‘Because of that we actually attract a lot of different cultures and types of patients as well, so it’s a very interesting mix.’
 
Dr Kan said another of the practice’s strengths is its ownership structure, with each of its owners having connections to the clinic for more than 15 years.
 
‘We have 10 main doctors and five of us are the practice owners, that’s why we are quite stable,’ she said.
 
‘I was trained in the practice here, along with another doctor who is a practice owner as well, and then later we were invited to become an owner. 
 
‘We have that stability of everybody – because we own it, we want to make the practice thrive.
 
‘Each time we get a challenge, we’ll sit down and then, because it’s not just me or one other part owner, we’ll sit down, and five heads are better than one.’
 
And as she continues her career at the Spencer Road Family Practice, Dr Kan says she still loves her role as a GP.
 
‘I don’t want something boring and being a GP has a lot of flexibility in terms of your workflow, as well as your hours. I like a challenge,’ she said.
 
The RACGP has developed a suite of resources to support GPs to build and sustain a successful practice, with its business toolkit and billing calculator available online.
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

business of general practice business viability practice owner