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RACGP launches first advocacy plan
The inaugural plan was launched at the Practice Owners Conference, and acts as a ‘compass’ to guide the college’s advocacy work.
The RACGP Advocacy Plan Q&A session, with (from left) Dr Nicole Higgins, Shayne Sutton and Dr Cathryn Hester on the panel.
‘Never has there been a better time to advocate on behalf of our patients and on behalf of our profession.’
That is RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins, at the launch of the college’s inaugural Advocacy Plan and GP Advocate Network at the Practice Owners Conference over the weekend.
‘Australia’s primary care sector is undergoing significant reform – not just a little bit, every part of the primary healthcare system and general practice, the whole of the healthcare sector,’ she said.
Alongside RACGP Chief Advocacy Officer Shayne Sutton, Dr Higgins outlined the importance of the plan during what is ‘a critical time’ for general practice advocacy amid significant reform, including the Federal Government’s Strengthening Medicare, and Scope of Practice Review.
This was followed by a Q&A session with Dr Higgins, Ms Sutton and RACGP Queensland Chair and Conference Chair, Dr Cathryn Hester on the panel.
With 96% of members saying advocacy is important to them in the 2023 RACGP member survey, the new Advocacy Plan will ensure the college focuses on what matters most to members.
The 2024–25 Advocacy Plan provides clarity and transparency on advocacy priorities for members, while enabling effective reporting on advocacy efforts to ensure accountability. The four strategic priority areas are:
- the central role of general practice in the health system
- ensuring the viability of general practice
- supporting the primary care workforce
- advocating for health system quality and safety.
‘For decades, successive governments have underfunded and undervalued general practice … we also have fewer medical graduates choosing general practice,’ Dr Higgins said at the launch.
‘This is why our Advocacy Plan is so important. There is so much that one person can do, there is so much that an organisation can do, but not without our 43,000 members and not without your voice – in your consult rooms, with your patients and with your communities and members of parliament – we are so much stronger when we all go through it together.’
Dr Higgins said the Advocacy Plan is the college’s compass which guides advocacy to ensure it is clear, consistent, and focused on what matters to members, and will adapt and evolve with necessary change.
‘This is a journey and advocacy will evolve over time,’ she said.
‘It’s ambitious, we can’t do it on our own, and part of this has been building our strong advocacy partnerships and networks, because if we don’t have a voice, no one else will have a voice for our patients or for us.’
It is important the Advocacy Plan ties in with the college’s strategic plan, Dr Higgins highlighted, focusing on safe, comprehensive, continuous, and integrated general practice and primary health care in Australia and recognising the value of GPs and the central role they play within the healthcare system.
The RACGP Advocacy Plan Q&A session, with Dr Nicole Higgins, Shayne Sutton and Dr Cathryn Hester.
‘It’s also about restoring and enhancing the viability of general practice across Australia – not just viability, its sustainability,’ she said.
‘We need general practice to thrive. We need to make sure this is across the whole country from rural, remote, regional, urban, to the communities who need it the most.’
Developed collaboratively by the RACGP’s national, state and territory faculties, expert committees, and informed by members’ insights obtained through regular advocacy surveys and polls, the Advocacy Plan is the RACGP’s ‘advocacy anchor’ according to Ms Sutton.
The next part is the journey to take it to local MPs to establish relationships and understandings of the challenges GPs are facing.
According to the RACGP, politicians should expect ‘stronger, more focused advocacy’ from Australia’s peak general practice body, which is why it is launching the
GP Advocate Network to empower members to undertake advocacy with their local elected representatives.
This national network of GP advocates will receive training from the college to both support the advocacy priorities and be a voice on local community health issues.
‘We’re going to be teaching people how to use your voice, and how to be your champion in your community,’ Dr Higgins said.
‘We’re going to enable you to do this better because … you know your patients, you know your community, and the network will amplify our voice in advocacy.’
The RACGP 2024–25 Advocacy Plan is available on the RACGP website and the college is asking members to lodge an expression of interest to join the GP Advocate Network. Members interested in becoming a GP advocate can also email gpadvocate@racgp.org.au.
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