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Call for RACGP members to have their say


Morgan Liotta


8/11/2022 2:57:53 PM

The college wants GPs to guide its future direction by taking part in the first whole-of-membership census in more than 18 months.

Young male doctor
RACGP members again have their chance to speak up, with the census open until 20 November.

Much has changed since February 2021, when the RACGP last conducted a member census.  
 
Two new Omicron variants have come and gone – with another two just arrived – but lockdowns are a thing of the past and more focus seems to be on questionable allegations of Medicare rorting than Australia’s stagnant COVID vaccine booster numbers.
 
The general practice business environment is also substantially different; a sustainability crisis has seen mixed billing become an ever-increasing part of many clinics’ economic models, while telehealth has also been confirmed as a permanent feature of our healthcare system.
 
It is why the RACGP member census – open until 20 November – has been labelled such an important opportunity for members to have their say and help shape the college’s future initiatives.
 
According to RACGP Board Chair Christine Nixon, the census is a fundamental way for the organisation to gather information on how satisfied GPs are with their membership, and what can be done to improve it.
 
‘Feedback gathered for the census will help us understand more about our valued members, their work, and interaction with the college,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘Importantly, it will guide us on determining overall membership satisfaction and what we can do better. It is an opportunity for our members to let us know what’s important to them.
 
‘It’s been 18 months since we last sought feedback from our membership and it’s time we revisited some of those issues to find out if members’ sentiment and priorities have changed.
 
‘We recognise that our members’ interests and needs are broad, diverse and not always aligned, and the census helps us understand what those needs are and how we can prioritise them.’
 
In the 2021 census, 68% of participants said they value their membership, while around eight in 10 voiced that they would like the college to make some improvements.
 
The top three areas members called for the college to focus efforts on were:
 

  • to be a strong advocate for GPs
  • ensuring the work of the RACGP is guided by member views
  • supporting training, education for GPs in training, and managing Fellowship exams.
 
Ms Nixon says these results helped the college to better represent members in areas that mattered most to them, such as the need for a simpler Medicare system with higher rebates. Both of these issues were prominent in the college’s 2022 Federal Election statement and pre-Budget submission, and also formed a major part of the General Practice Crisis Summit.
 
For this reason, the RACGP Board Chair is encouraging all members to participate in the census and be part of the momentum for change.
 
‘The college is committed to seeking out, listening to, understanding, and acting on the voice of our members to help guide our activities,’ she said.
 
‘Member input helps significantly to shape the future of the college and its work. Have your say and complete the census.
 
In the 2022 census, the RACGP is hoping to identify the specific advocacy issues members want amplified over the next 12 months. In addition, the college is seeking feedback on:
 
  • what members value most from their membership
  • what RACGP services they value
  • how they want to interact with the college going forward.
 
The college has engaged an external market research company, The Navigators, to conduct this year’s census, after it successfully ran the 2021 version, as well as the 2022 Health of the Nation survey. It will then deliver the findings to the RACGP, before the results and next steps are shared with members.
 
The census takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and all responses will be deidentified.
 
More information and to participate is available on the RACGP website.
 
Log in below to join the conversation.
 



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