‘Inspire and empower’: Day one of GP24

Around 1600 attendees, including almost 1000 delegates, from across Australia and overseas descended on the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, on Whadjuk Noongar Country, on Thursday as the nation’s premier annual event for GPs kicked off its jam-packed three-day program.
 
In line with the conference’s theme of ‘reimagining healthcare’, delegates at GP24 will hear from a multitude of presenters about how GPs are using new technologies, including AI, to get better health outcomes for their patients and improve patient care.
 
The conference also offers a chance for attendees to rub shoulders with the political elite, with Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler in attendance to speak.
 
Day one began with the conference’s official opening, with a Welcome to Country, and speeches from the RACGP’s leaders.
 
Outgoing RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins used her speech to reflect on her time in the role over the last two years, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
 
‘It’s been a bit of a moving feast, as this Government has come with us with a reform agenda,’ she said.
 
‘They’ve picked all the pieces up of our general practice and primary care, thrown them up in the air, dropped them on the ground, and it feels like we are constantly trying to put the pieces together.’
 
But with these challenges come opportunities, Dr Higgins said.
 
‘They say that if you are not at the table, you’re on the menu,’ she said.
 
‘I tell our GPs that not only are we at the table, but we are actually deciding what’s for dinner.
 
‘We’ve changed the narrative, and we’ve moved from GPs in crisis to actually saying that GPs can, and GPs are the solution.’


 RACGP WA Chair Dr Ramya Raman speaking on day one of the GP24 national conference.

Dr Higgins attributed this in part to the RACGP’s ramping up of its advocacy and influence – and highlighted how hard the college has worked to shape policy development.
 
‘It has shown that we can win against powerful lobbyists, who pay for influence in Canberra,’ she said.
 
‘Our voice is heard, and we are the trusted source of information around health, general practice and primary care.’
 
Some of the presenters headlining Thursday’s program included Associate Professor Alireza Ahmadvand, who walked the audience through ‘Unlocking generative AI’.
 
Dr Owen Bradfield, the Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Indemnity Protection Society, spoke on medico-legal issues when using AI to transcribe clinical records.
 
There was also a focus on GP wellbeing, with Dr Jill Benson, who is part of the RACGP Training Pipelines and Remote Supervision Team, talking through burnout and wellbeing for GPs.

GPs also heard from keynote speaker Dr Jordan Nguyen, a leading Australian engineer and innovator who designs life-changing technologies for people with disabilities and the elderly. 
 
The full program for the event features over 110 speakers, 72 concurrent sessions, five keynote presentations, two breakfast symposiums and a gala dinner at the WA Museum Boola Bardip.
 
RACGP WA Chair Dr Ramya Raman also spoke to attendees and welcomed them to her state.
 
‘This is a wonderful opportunity for us to gather as a community of dedicated GPs, practice teams and as healthcare professionals to learn, collaborate and celebrate the vital work that we do every day, much of which is not acknowledged,’ she said.
 
‘But what I have learned over these last few years is that it is acknowledged by our patients and the community that we serve, and I think that’s something we should all be so very proud of.’


  Close to 1000 GPs from around Australia and overseas have gathered for the annual conference.

Dr Raman said, over the next three days, delegates will be immersed in ‘insightful discussions, cutting-edge research, keynote plenaries and thought-provoking sessions designed to inspire and empower’.
 
‘As we look ahead, it’s important to recognise the challenges that we face in general practice, and as GPs, we do have a challenging road ahead of us,’ she said.
 
‘But we need to remember that we need to embrace the incredible opportunities that are there before us.
 
‘GP24 is much more than professional development, it’s about connection, resilience and finding a shared purpose in our vision for healthier communities.’
 
As Dr Higgins closed out her speech, she described a promising future for general practice.
 
‘We have more doctors wanting to train as GPs than we have funded places for,’ she said.
 
‘Job satisfaction has improved, and more of us are recommending general practice as a career.
 
‘We are believing in our value and our profession.’
 
She said that, as President, she had worked hard to address the key concerns expressed within the GP community.
 
‘As your President I have worked hard to listen, to be your voice, and to advocate for you in Canberra or on any tables where decisions are being made about general practice, but we need all of you,’ Dr Higgins said.
 
‘We are stronger when we all stand together.’
 
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AI general practice conference GP24 Royal Australian College of GPs annual conference