New national awards chance to shine a light on GP excellence

From patient care, to innovation, multidisciplinary work, or treating vulnerable communities, a new award ceremony has been established to recognise those ‘going above and beyond to treat patients’.
 
The awards, part of the 40th anniversary of Medicare celebrations, are designed to recognise those working within the primary healthcare sector, with individual health professionals, practices or health centres, and multidisciplinary teams all eligible.
 
A full list of assessment criteria for nominees will be made available by the Federal Government on 8 March, with RACGP Vice President Associate Professor Michael Clements encouraging GPs to apply.
 
‘Anybody that’s recognised through a nomination, or an actual award, gets that warm fuzzy feeling and the privilege of recognition,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘It’s important we take time to shine a light on the general practices, the teams, and the models of care that our members have been able to pilot and then champion in the community.
 
‘I know that our GPs do wonderful work and it’s often hidden and quiet, but these awards are going to be an opportunity to shine a light on them.’
 
Nominations will be open from 8 March until 30 June, with the winners to be announced at a Canberra ceremony in October.
 
An independent panel of health experts will review eligible nominations to determine the winners.
 
Associate Professor Clements said the awards are also an opportunity to promote the work of GPs to the public.
 
‘One of the features of general practice is that a lot of our work takes place behind closed doors, and once the patient leaves that consulting room, a lot of the wins and a lot of the gains remain hidden between the clinician and the patient,’ he said.
 
‘Whether it be that we’ve finally helped somebody break through their mental health distress and actually get back into work, or whether we’ve helped people navigate IVF and infertility.
 
‘These kinds of things are wonderful achievements, but not celebrated publicly because of the nature of the work that we do, so it’s important that we embrace an opportunity to show what we do.’
 
All award finalists will receive a framed certificate, with those named Medicare Champions to receive a trophy at the Canberra ceremony.
 
And while Medicare is prominently featured in the name, there does not appear to be any requirement for the nomination to relate to a Medicare subsidised or funded service.
 
Instead, Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler said the awards are a way for Australia to honour and say thank you to healthcare professionals for their effort and excellence.
 
‘The Stronger Medicare Awards are an opportunity to recognise and honour the outstanding health professionals and other workers in clinics, health centres, general practices and primary care settings, all around Australia,’ he said.
 
‘Doctors, nurses and other health professionals don’t do the important work they do for the limelight, instead they are driven to improve the lives of their fellow Australians.’
 
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