Winter is certainly here, and July has brought with it some significantly wet and chilly weather. Respiratory illnesses are rampant in our state and territory this time of year, so please encourage your patients to get their covid-19 boosters, flu vaccinations, and pneumovax where clinically appropriate.
Whooping cough cases are on the rise in NSW, with young people particularly at risk. Recently I discussed staying safe with ABC TV and radio. Please continue to wear masks, wash hands regularly, and practice social distancing where possible to protect yourself, your family, and your patients.
I would like to say thank you to all our members who have shared their feedback on the payroll tax outcome shared in the NSW budget announcement on 18 June 2024. I have commenced discussions with Revenue NSW to plan answers to the many questions that have been posed. I look forward to sharing more details soon on how this information will be circulated to our members. For practices that will be increasing their fees in line with the new legislation, RACGP has developed patient facing material that informs patients of these changes and assists practices in explaining the reasons behind the fee increase. These resources are in support of RACGP’s petition to stop the patient tax grab.
Last week, I enjoyed meeting some of you in Lismore at our RACGP Rural member meet-up. It was wonderful to connect with my colleagues outside of the city and to hear more about how we can support GPs working rurally. I hear your concerns about workforce and, alongside the NSW&ACT Faculty Council, we will continue to pursue efforts to improve the GP workforce pipeline. We will be advocating hard for our NSW and ACT governments to match VIC and QLD incentive payments for trainee GPs so that we can encourage the next generation of trainee doctors into our wonderful profession.
There’s still time to nominate your exceptional colleagues for our annual RACGP Awards Ceremony. Find out more about each of our awards and nominate here. You can also recognise a New Fellow in their first 5 years of Fellowship by nominating them for the NSW&ACT Eric Fisher Award. These awards celebrate the incredible work of our members and serve as a reminder to the wider community of what it means to be a GP. I’m incredibly excited to read your nominations.
I’m also very much looking forward to honouring the hard work and achievement of our newest Fellows next month at our NSW Fellowship Ceremony on 17 August in Sydney. The Fellowship Ceremonies are amongst my favorite events on the annual calendar. This year, the oration will be delivered by our 2023 GP of the Year, Dr Richard Draper, whose work and words will inspire not only our New Fellows but everyone attending on the day.
Registrations for GP 24 are now open and I’m really looking forward to heading to Perth from the 21st-23rd November 2024. GP24 is a fantastic opportunity to connect with your community of GPs and medical professionals from across the country, and fosters the exchange of knowledge, medical advancements, and key insights.
Until next month, stay warm.
Dr Rebekah Hoffman
RACGP NSW&ACT Chair