Critical health conditions and social issues facing Australians are starkly brought into focus in the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP) latest community awareness campaign.
Launching Sunday 13 December, the second instalment of the RACGP’s The Good GP campaign highlights several of the major concerns GP patients experience, including family violence, ice addiction, mental health issues and chronic disease.
RACGP President, Dr Frank R Jones, said the two new campaigns told a story of diversity – diversity of GPs, patients and their conditions.
“The campaign earlier this year, our first in more than 45 years, focused on the special bond GPs establish with many patients. It also highlighted the life-long learning that we all strive to both impart to patients, and in turn receive from them,” Dr Jones said.
“Now it’s time to tell the story of everyday general practice, of the highs and lows faced by GPs and their patients, and in doing so it’s important that we don’t hide from the stark realities of the tough issues that GPs and patients frequently experience.
“Australia is in the grips of an obesity epidemic coupled with an ageing population, which has seen a significant increase in patients presenting with multiple long-term chronic conditions.
“At the same time, patients are increasingly coming forward to discuss their struggles with ice addiction and other drug abuse issues, and the scale of mental illness in our community has reached a near crisis point.
“Men’s violence against women is just starting to surface as a major media issue, but behind closed doors GP’s have been working for many years to assist victims and raise community awareness of the magnitude of the problem and destruction it brings upon women and children.
“GPs are typically the first point of contact for people with a health concern – no matter how big or small – and this next stage of the RACGP’s campaign shows just how important your GP is as your specialist in life, not just in your immediate health issues.”
The national media campaign will include TV, cinema, digital and social media components, and material for RACGP members to display in their practices.
The RACGP is the peak body for Australian GPs, has more than 31,000 members and almost nine out of every 10 GPs in Australia are with the RACGP.
The second instalment of The Good GP campaign can be viewed on the RACGP website.