RACGP ‘so incredibly important’: Michael Kidd

Tasked with navigating a nation through COVID, Professor Michael Kidd was one of a select few decision makers at the helm of the unprecedented pandemic battle.
 
But for the renowned doctor, it was his past presidency at the RACGP which he described as the ‘greatest professional development activity I’d ever done’.
 
A GP by trade, Professor Kidd served as college president between 2002–06, he was then appointed president of WONCA, and in 2020, he was named Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, before stepping down earlier this year.
 
Last week, he addressed the RACGP’s Board in Melbourne, giving an inspiring address on the future of general practice, the challenges it faces, and the role of the college in the wider healthcare landscape.
 
‘Australia has one of the best systems of healthcare in the world and it’s based on very strong primary care, which is based on very strong general practice,’ Professor Kidd told newsGP.
 
‘It’s a wonderful career and it’s such a privilege to be a GP and to work with your patients and with your local community, and to be able to have a really positive impact on the lives of so many people.
 
‘For many of us, this is the reason why we wanted to train to become doctors in the first place, and general practice offers that wonderful opportunity.’
 
Looking back on his time in the RACGP’s top job, Professor Kidd said it provided him with valuable lessons he took forward into his career, as well as established relationships with leaders at all levels.
 
‘I learned about good governance, I learned about a lot of issues to do with finance, and law, and government, and policymaking, and at the same time I grew my communication skills,’ he said.
 
‘Everybody wants the college to succeed in its mission, that’s why we’re all so passionate and we love what we do, but we also love our college.
 
‘It’s just so incredibly important for the people of Australia that we have a strong body which is setting the standards for general practice, ensuring quality care for everybody, and is responsible for the education of our future general practitioners.’
 
But with hundreds of longstanding GPs on the edge of retirement and a lack of young doctors to replace them, the profession is experiencing a period of testing change.
 
Professor Kidd said work needs to be done at a systemic level to ensure the future for GPs is sustainable and that patients feel cared for.
 
‘We need to look at the issues of wage parity and the leave arrangements, which the college is totally across for doctors training in general practice,’ he said.
 
‘The registrars and students are also looking for some consistency and the quality of GP placements for medical students, and tackling some of the negative comments which may be experienced by students or junior doctors about general practice.
 
‘General practice is incredibly important to the health and wellbeing of the people of our nation and it’s important that we’re all doing all that we can to boost general practice and to support our students and junior doctors who are recent graduates who are keen to pursue a career as a GP.’


Professor Michael Kidd with members of the RACGP Board in Melbourne.

More than 20 years after he took on the RACGP presidency, the college’s current leader, Dr Nicole Higgins said her predecessor was an example of how to lead in a caring, compassionate, but bold style.
 
‘What [Professor Kidd] demonstrates is humble leadership and that’s really important when you’re serving over 40,000 members,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘Being president is not without its challenges, but it gives you the opportunity to advocate on behalf of the profession and to bring the lived experience of what it’s like to be a GP on the ground.
 
‘It comes back to GPs being able to do their jobs most effectively and that magic that happens in that room when you’re with the person who’s sitting in front of you and they’re at their most vulnerable.’
 
But in those two decades since his RACGP leadership began, Professor Kidd acknowledges medicine, technology, and science have come a long way, making the job very different to when he took it on.
 
He said these advancements will create some of the greatest changes within the job, not just in telehealth, but new technologies assisting decision making.
 
‘But when it comes to the crunch, people are still going to need that person who they trust for their medical care and advice, and it doesn’t matter how clever the technology becomes, you still need someone to talk to,’ Professor Kidd said.
 
‘I expect we’re going to see some major, really exciting changes in personalised medicine and better understanding of the genetic components of each of us and how that impacts our health and wellbeing.
 
‘It’s going to be challenging for those who are working at the coalface with individual patients, but it’s also going to be really exciting and provide us with opportunities to provide even better care than we currently do.’
 
Looking to the future, Professor Kidd said general practice, and Australia’s healthcare system, has significant challenges to face, from a growing population to an increase in chronic and complex conditions.
 
But he said the RACGP has maintained its status as a vocal and trusted advocate for the voice of primary care, and is now more listened to than ever before.
 
‘The college clearly has a very strong and influential voice, and my view of the college has always been that our paramount responsibility is to our patients, to the people that we serve,’ Professor Kidd said.
 
‘The college is very vocal about really anything which is affecting the ability of the nation’s GPs and general practices to deliver a quality service to the people of our country.
 
‘I expect the college will go from strength to strength, because there is recognition globally, as well as here in Australia, about the importance of strong primary care as the basis of our healthcare systems and the incredibly important role that general practice plays.’
 
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COVID-19 Department of Health and Aged Care general practice Professor Michael Kidd