On 7 September 2023, the RACGP Board convened at our Hobart office for the September Board meeting, for the first time in a year and a half. On the evening prior, at a member engagement event organised by the Tasmanian Faculty at Macq01, Board members and staff enjoyed a wonderful evening sharing stories and insights with over 30 local members from across Tasmania. The Board had the opportunity to converse with members, hear their concerns, advice, and reflections. We also celebrated our recent advocacy wins for general practice and our patients.
On 30 September 2022, National Cabinet announced an independently led review by Robyn Kruk of Australia's regulatory settings for overseas trained health professionals. The review covers health practitioner registration, skill and qualification recognition for overseas trained health professionals and international students who have studied in Australia. At the Board meeting this month, we held a strategic discussion on the RACGP's ongoing response to the Kruk Report.
We received an update on the RACGP's Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) work and approved several updates to our ESG policy. ESG remains a prominent issue for the RACGP and the way we do business. Substantial progress has been made in building a foundation for ESG and preparing the College for future risks, opportunities, and requirements. This includes a pragmatic organisational approach to ESG, an updated ESG policy, and the College's first carbon footprint.
The RACGP Board is well progressed in plans for our Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 23 November 2023, and have approved Constitutional updates that will be presented to members for a member vote at the AGM. These updates, and the recent independent governance review all form part of our commitment to continued best practice governance, and the AGM is a key opportunity for reporting back to the members on these activities.
If you would like to contact the RACGP Board with any questions or comments, please email us at racgp@racgp.org.au.
Until next month.
Dr. Lara Roeske
Chair, RACGP Board.