17 February 2017


Redfern Statement and Closing the Gap: Prime Minister's report

Chair of RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Associate Professor Peter O’Mara, attended the Redfern Statement Parliamentary Breakfast in Canberra on Tuesday morning. During this event, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders handed the Prime Minister the Redfern Statement, their blueprint for improvement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs.

The Redfern Statement was released June in 2016 as an urgent call for a more just approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs. It provides a range of practical solutions by which the Federal Government can improve health, early childhood, justice, violence prevention, early childhood and disability outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Redfern Statement is supported by more than 30 major organisations, including the RACGP.

Later in the event, Prime Minister Turnbull spoke about the ninth Closing the Gap: Prime Minister’s report (Closing the Gap report).

The Closing the Gap report, issued by the Prime Minister at the commencement of parliamentary sitting each year, measures the outcomes of the Federal Government’s efforts in ‘closing the gap’ between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous Australians in a range of health and socio-economic indicators. The report revealed that, sadly, we are not on track to ‘closing the gap’ in life expectancy by 2031. While there have been some improvements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in healthcare access, reductions in smoking and deaths from chronic disease, deaths from cancer continue to rise.

The RACGP maintains its position that ongoing support and funding is required to help bridge the gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians, including the implementation of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan.

Visit the links below to view the Prime Minister’s address, full report and the Redfern Statement:


Mandatory data breach notifications

The Federal Government passed the Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Bill 2016 this week, introducing ‘mandatory data breach notification’ when the exposure of an individual’s information puts them at ‘risk of serious harm’. The new laws will come into effect nationally within the next 12 months.

General practices will be legally obliged to notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and the individual affected if this type of data breach has occurred. The OAIC will provide further guidance to help organisations prepare for the commencement of the new ruling.

In addition, the RACGP has resources to assist you in reviewing your practice’s current data security and privacy measures and develop suitable data breach response plans.

Visit the RACGP website for more information.


QI&CPD 2017–19 webinar

The RACGP invites you to watch the QI&CPD Program webinar recording for the 2017–19 triennium, hosted by Dr Kaye Atkinson.

The webinar will inform you of the new triennium requirements and provide an overview of the new mandatory planning learning and need (PLAN) quality improvement activity.

We encourage all participants to login to myRACGP and view the recording.

  1. Log into myRACGP
  2. Select RACGP.TV
  3. Select QI&CPD 2017–2019 triennium requirements
  4. SelectWatch now

Clinical Pearl: Harms of homeopathy

Homeopathic products and services are ineffective, expensive and potentially harmful, and should be avoided by GPs and patients.

In addition to wasting money on ineffective products, individuals may be exposed to other harms in using homeopathy. They may delay or avoid medical opinion or treatment while trying homeopathic products. Some forego conventional immunisation in place of ‘homeopathic vaccines’, which not only poses a risk to individual health, but also others’ as a result of the threat to herd immunity.

There is also a small chance that individuals will experience adverse effects as a result of the misuse of homeopathic products, including allergic reactions, drug interactions, and complications related to the ingestion of a toxic substance.

For more information, view the RACGP’s Position statement on homeopathy, which followed a 2015 National Health and Medical Research Council review that concluded homeopathy has no effect beyond that of a placebo in the treatment of a variety of conditions.


Poll results

The RACGP surveyed members in 2016 on whether it should play a greater role in supporting GP advocacy and engagement at a local level. Most respondents were supportive, given the current lack of opportunities for GPs to connect and engage with other GPs at a local level.

The RACGP is creating opportunities for GPs to engage with other local GPs and discuss areas of mutual interest or concern, in part through tools such as ShareGP. As the peak body of general practice, we want to support our members and the profession, ensuring that the local GP voice is not lost. Engaging with colleagues provides an opportunity for professional growth through access to information and peers, and can result in both increased professional satisfaction and a united professional voice.

The RACGP is starting to pilot Local GP Advocacy Networks, with the first network being formed in the Hunter region, New South Wales. We asked members to provide feedback on what issues they would like to discuss with peers, should such a network be started in their area. An even distribution of votes was shared among the most popular topics: funding for general practice, ongoing professional education, advocacy and policy on health system reform, and local issues affecting practices and patients.

The RACGP thanks all poll respondents. Responses will be used to help inform the agendas of any upcoming Advocacy Networks, including our first pilot session in Newcastle. We invite GPs to attend these network sessions to share ideas and concerns with their peers, as well as the RACGP.

If you would like more information on the Local GP Advocacy Network in Newcastle on 13 March 2017, please contact advocacy@racgp.org.au.


Media enquiries

Journalists and media outlets seeking comment and information from the RACGP should contact:

John Ronan

Senior Media Advisor