May 2024

May has been another busy month, with lots of fantastic opportunities for connection. I hosted a wonderful member meet up in Canberra and really enjoyed meeting so many of my NSW&ACT Colleagues. Once again, I was lucky enough to see some of our members in action as I visited practices in the ACT. Thank you very much to Dr Clara Tuck Meng Soo at East Canberra General Practice and Dr Mel and Dr John Deery of Your GP@Crace for having us and sharing your incredible work.  

Our ACT Fellowship Ceremony was held on 11 May and was, as always, one of the highlights of my year. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all those who have recently Fellowed into the College and to the 61 New Fellows who joined us for the ceremony in Canberra on 11 May. It was wonderful to see you and your loved ones come together to celebrate your monumental achievement. We are so grateful to have you. I would like to also thank Prof Kirsty Douglas for her inspiring speech, particularly identifying the key role that GPs have in advocating for their passions, themselves and their profession.  

This week I will be heading to Cairns for the RACGP Practice Owners Conference. As a practice owner myself, I am really looking forward to a weekend of professional development opportunities, and of course a chance to see many of you as well as colleagues from other states and territories.  

Locally, our payroll advocacy efforts are continuing this month. My trip to Canberra has resulted in more attention for payroll tax in the ACT. I am also continuing to meet with the NSW Treasury to further our work towards an acceptable outcome for payroll tax in NSW. Our requests to the NSW Government have focused on no retrospective application of payroll tax to general practice, clarity on the application of rulings and sufficient time to adjust to any changes that may be applied. I have also joined together with AMA ACT to speak out on our concerns about walk-in centres in the ACT. The RACGP supports GP-led multidisciplinary models of care that deliver efficient and effective health care outcomes for our patients. 

I would like to take a moment to highlight the NSW coercive control campaign that was launched in NSW on 1 May 2024 It is an issue that affects any number of us and our patients. Coercive control is when someone repeatedly hurts, scares, or isolates another person to control them. It is domestic abuse and it causes serious harm. From 1 July 2024, there are new laws in NSW about coercive control. Learn more about coercive control at nsw.gov.au/coercive-control. 

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing coercive control, there’s help available. Contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or at 1800respect.org.au for 24/7 support. 

As I sign off for May, I would like to thank you for the work you do to support patients experiencing all forms of abuse. It is not an easy task, and I am so proud and grateful to you all. As GPs, it can be incredibly difficult to give ourselves the time and space that we need to support our own wellbeing while we look after our patients and their families, so once again I would like to remind you to take a moment to fill your own cup. 

Take the very best of care.

RACGP NSW&ACT congratulates the following GPs who attained Fellowship of the RACGP last month: 

Congratulations on achieving Fellowship of the RACGP! We recognise the sacrifice and hard work that has gone into your general practice journey. 

Transitioning from being a GP in training to an independent, practicing GP is a major career-change (and life-changing) milestone. The Next Five Program extends its support to New Fellows as they navigate their first few years of unsupervised practice. 

Join our new NSW&ACT ‘Basecamp’ online community 

To help keep you connected with your Faculty Council Regional Representative and local colleagues, we are inviting you to join ‘Basecamp’, RACGP NSW&ACT’s online community platform. Each geographical region in NSW&ACT has its own group and led by your Regional Rep, each community is a place to connect with other members locally using the message board and chat functions.  

To register, please express your interest using this short survey. 

The NSW Government is launching a new campaign to raise awareness and understanding of coercive control.  

The campaign shows diverse experiences of coercive control to help people identify the signs of abuse.  

Coercive control is when someone repeatedly hurts, scares or isolates another person to control them. It’s domestic abuse and it causes serious harm.  

Visit the NSW Government’s coercive control website to learn more. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing coercive control, there’s help available. Call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for 24/7 support. 

Expressions of interest are open for the 2025 Education Research Grant program! Awarded annually, the Education Research Grant offers researchers an opportunity to fund their project.  Grants of up to $150,000 are available for eligible projects. Expressions of interest close on Friday 31 May. Further information can be found here.  

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the future of GP training and medical education research, so apply today. 

Join our webinar discussing the importance of National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2024, themed "Now More Than Ever." This year's theme highlights the urgent need to advocate for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  

Featuring guest speaker Dr. Mark Daley, GP at the First People’s Health and Wellbeing clinic and recipient of the 2023 RACGP Standing Strong Together Award. Dr. Daley’s work exemplifies collaborative healthcare partnerships recognised by the award, focusing on improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

The RACGP is committed to reconciliation and is devoted to positive relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.    

Date: Tuesday 4 June 2024 

Time: 7.30 – 8.30 PM (AEST) 

Register here 

The Victoria Faculty and the dedicated Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) committee, have tailored a program of content that offers invaluable opportunities for growth and professional development.  

The General Practice in Addiction (GPADD) Conference, on 27 July will focus on treating vulnerable communities-LGBTIQ+, refugees, people experiencing homelessness and people in custody. 

GPADD offers: 

• Insightful presentations 

• Engaging workshops 

• Networking with GPs and healthcare professionals 

Open to all GPs, New Fellows, GPs in training, and AOD field workers.  

Join us for crucial discussions in Melbourne on innovative healthcare delivery approaches for vulnerable communities. 

Early bird registration available now.         

Nominations for the RACGP Censor-in-Chief election close 3 June 2024. 

The Censor-in-Chief (CiC) provides academic leadership, strategic and policy advice and guidance on educational matters across the RACGP. The role ensures that the RACGP adopts an equitable, nationally consistent and coordinated approach to establishing and maintaining standards relating to education, training and assessment; to certification, re-certification and admission issues; and the recognition of qualifications and general practice experience.  

As an elected member role, the CiC is also an ex offico member of the RACGP Board, who is bound by Board member obligations as set in the Constitution and has legal and common law responsibilities and duties as required under the Corporations Act and Australian Charities and Not f-for-profits Commission Governance Standards.  

Visit the elections page to read through a detailed CiC position description and for further information on the nomination process for the CiC election. 

Nominations close Monday 3 Jun 2024, 4.00pm (AEST). 

In addition to real-time prescription monitoring, prescribers can now use SafeScript NSW to submit and manage their applications for approval to prescribe or supply:  

• medicine prescribed under Opioid Treatment Program (OTP)  

• schedule 8 pain management medicines    

• schedule 8 psychostimulants (dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate) 

• schedule 8 benzodiazepines   

• esketamine and ketamine (for treatment resistant depression)   

SafeScript NSW provides prescribers with the ability to: 

• easily submit applications online  

• receive application responses faster, with approvals granted immediately in some cases 

• monitor progress of applications 

For further information, visit the SafeScript NSW website where you will find training material, how to videos, registration information and more. 

General practitioners play an important role in supporting patients with drug and alcohol needs together with managing other health issues for the patient. 

Resources and programs available through NSW Health can assist. Applications close 29 May 2024. 

• Check out current clinical safety alerts for health professionals regarding non-prescribed drug use. 

• A searchable list of community pharmacies offering the Opioid Treatment Program and/or depot buprenorphine administration service is now available. 

• OTAC Scholarships are currently available for GPs in NSW to complete to gain CPD and accreditation for opioid pharmacotherapy prescribing in the treatment of opioid dependence.  

From July, the NSW Government will enforce seatbelt offences using phone and seatbelt detection cameras.  

GPs may experience more requests for medical seatbelt exemptions. Currently, people can seek a medical exemption certificate from GPs. Medical exemptions from seatbelt wearing are usually only granted in rare circumstances. 

Wearing a seatbelt doubles the chance of surviving a crash and reduces the risk of injury. Annually, around 29 drivers and passengers die in NSW road crashes while not wearing available seatbelts. 

Information about seatbelt exemptions is available here.  

Information for GPs on medical seatbelt exemptions is in the Assessing Fitness to Drive guidelines.