Media releases
Prime Minister visits general practice
19 March 2010
This morning, The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister, visited the Hornsby GP Unit in NSW to see first hand how GPs manage the complexity of their patient consultations and to observe the teams and teamwork in place in general practices.
Dr Elizabeth Marles, Chair of the RACGP NSW/ACT Faculty and GP at the Hornsby GP Unit, said that this was a great opportunity for the Prime Minister to increase his understanding of general practice and prevocational training.
“The visit of the Prime Minister to our general practice today was significant, because not only do we train GPs here, we also teach medical students and medical graduates in their early hospital years. This is a great example of how our general practitioners are training the next generation of doctors. In addition, we offer care by a full range of health professionals,” Dr Marles said.
The Prime Minister's visit follows the Rudd Government's announcement earlier this week of increases in training places for GPs and for general practice experience for medical graduates in their immediate postgraduate years. The college has warmly welcomed this investment.
The number of prevocational training places will be increased from 400 to 975 by 2013-2014. In addition, the number of vocational training places will be increased from 812 to 1,200 by 2014.
Dr Chris Mitchell, RACGP President, said that this investment is a great boost to general practice training places and recognition of the central role of general practice in our health system.
“It shows that the federal government has been hearing the message from general practice. This investment in general practice training is critically important to combat general practice workforce shortages throughout Australia .
“The college welcomes this announcement and will continue to work with all levels of government to make general practice the career destination of choice for new graduates. We will also need direct investment into general practice infrastructure within practices to support these training places.
“The evidence is clear that the more efficient and effective general health care takes place in the community setting. More GPs will lead to better health outcomes, enhanced health prevention, better management of chronic illness and lower rates of unnecessary hospital admissions,” concluded Dr Mitchell.
The RACGP would like to thank the Prime Minister for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit the Hornsby GP Unit and Dr Marles and her team for inviting the Prime Minister to their practice.
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