Councils, especially in rural areas, are taking an increasing interest in primary care – but they’re not always looped in.
Welcome to the leftovers, where we serve you a smorgasbord of bite-sized news.
Enjoy your meal!
AMA on local government
The AMA gave a nod to the regional and remote councils and townships that are coming up with custom solutions to the rural GP shortage in its submission to the House of Representatives Inquiry into Local Government Sustainability.
The inquiry itself is looking into the changing service delivery obligations of local government and trends in the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce in the local government sector.
While the AMA pointed out primary care is typically a federal responsibility, involvement from councils in parts of regional Australia has been “necessitated by local market failure”.
“A one-size-fits-all approach to support for access to health care will not work for all communities and there is no doubt that local governments will need to continue to develop local solutions to local problems and they should be better supported and resourced to fulfil this role,” the association said.
The submission also called for more clarification about how responsibilities for sociocultural support should be divided between local health districts, PHNS and council.
RACGP welcomes new fellows, honours awardees
The RACGP has welcomed 105 new specialist fellows, which president Nicole Higgins said Australia needed “more than ever”.
“Recent incentives to support GPs to train in rural Queensland have helped boost GP numbers in areas that need it most,” she said.
Wakka Wakka woman Dr Anne-Maree Nielson was honoured with the Queensland GP in Training of the Year award for her work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare.
New practice owner Dr Isobel Walker received the GP of the Year award and the Queensland General Practice of the Year award went to Growlife Medical.
The Queensland GP Supervisor of the Year award was awarded to Dr Lisa Fraser.
“To all new fellows, my message is that you are all now supervisors, and I encourage you to formalise the supervisory skills you already have by participating as a recognised secondary supervisor by the college and not wait until you think you are ready,” she said.
“You are already ready, and we need new supervisors more than ever.”
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New faces on ACRRM board and council
The rural GP college has welcomed three new council members and appointed two new board members.
The board newcomers are Queensland rural generalist obstetrician Dr John Hall – who will be familiar to many as a past president of the RDAA – and NSW-based rural generalist Dr Shannon Nott.
They will replace outgoing directors Dr Anthony Carpenter and Dr Robert Worswick.
Joining the council are Dr Claire Arundell from Victoria, Dr Angus Brown from NSW/ACT and Dr Aaron Hawkins from Tasmania.
All five doctors will officially take up their new positions at the joint ACRRM-RDAA conference next month.
GPRA NT scholarship winners
Six recipients of General Practice Registrars Australia’s inaugural Northern Territory scholarships were honoured at the association’s first-ever NT forum.
Dr Shauna Hill won the GPRA NT rural and remote scholarship, Dr Ella Heggen and Dr Anna Walmsley won the Ada Wilmadda Parry Aboriginal health scholarships and Dr Leah Ginnican and Dr Asim Razi won the Professor Alan Walker paediatric scholarships.
“This event not only recognised the accomplishments of our scholarship winners, but also provided all attendees with the tools and knowledge to grow as healthcare professionals,” GPRA president Dr Karyn Matterson said.
