Current AMA vice president Dr Danielle McMullen was the sole nominee for the top job, which she’ll take up from October.
Brisbane GP Dr Danielle McMullen has won the AMA presidency unopposed, the association has announced this morning.
It marks the second time that Dr McMullen has run unopposed for AMA leadership; two years ago, she was the sole nominee for her current role of vice president.
Her first priority will be boosting investment in general practice.
“It’s the cornerstone of our healthcare system, with our GPs looking after Australians from birth to death and through all the ups and downs in between,” Dr McMullen said.
“With an ageing population and increasing chronic disease, we need everyone in our healthcare system working together.
“Patients need a usual GP working in a team to ensure they can access care when they need it, to prevent their illness deteriorating to the point they need to be in hospital.”
Dr McMullen’s ascendancy to the top job comes just as several different reviews tipped to alter the primary care landscape – most notably scope of practice – are being finalised.
Having been the AMA’s representative on the 2022 Strengthening Medicare Taskforce and various other reform pushes, she’s in the unique position of going into the presidency with established relationships in Canberra.
Other priority areas for Dr McMullen include shrinking public waiting lists and fixing the private healthcare value proposition.
Outgoing AMA president Professor Steve Robson called Dr McMullen a “strong but inclusive leader” who would bring “poise and vibrancy” to the role.
Dr McMullen will be the first female AMA president in over a decade and the third overall, following Dr Rosanna Capolingua in 2007 and Professor Kerryn Phelps in 2000.
Before taking up the federal vice presidency, Dr McMullen was president of AMA NSW.
While the presidency was uncontested, the vice presidency has two nominees: Associate Professor Julian Rait and Dr Xavier Yu.
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Professor Rait is a Victorian-based ophthalmologist, and the deputy chair of charity Vision Australia.
As the immediate past chair of the AMA’s federal council, he may already be a familiar face to some.
Dr Yu, meanwhile, is a radiologist who is also based in Victoria.
The vote on vice president will be held at the AMA’s national conference on the Gold Coast in just over one week.
