I’ve not been a GP as long as some, but never before can I recall a time when general practice featured so frequently in politics, the media and the collective consciousness. As this awful pandemic drags on, it’s becoming clear general practice is the juggernaut in the country’s public health armada: we’re efficient, we’re experts in preventive health, we exist in the community alongside our patients, and we have a profound understanding of health, health systems and people in their contexts. This month, Australian GPs will pass the milestone of eight million vaccines given.
It’d be delusional to pretend there aren’t significant frustrations and failings in the management of this pandemic and the approach to general practice within it. But every time a politician tells a patient to ‘talk to your GP’, our role and expertise is further acknowledged. From that acknowledgement, there’s opportunity to inform government strategy and media reports; from that advocacy, there’s opportunity to embed general practice in a wider, cross-federation approach to a desperately needed new iteration of Australian healthcare.
Why do I extol such aspirational ideas? A few reasons. First, I believe from this chaos comes an opportunity to promote and protect our profession and make its value undeniable. Second, I accept this is a long game, and I don’t think we’ll make a clean sweep of political wins in a single instance. Third, I want our members to participate in grassroots advocacy and continue to build momentum.
But the biggest reason is a little more concrete than all of that. It’s simple, too: If a patient does indeed come to ‘talk to their GP’ (you) to get advice about vaccination, help us prove to Victoria just how vital we are by inviting the conversation, explaining risks and benefits, respecting a person’s right to choose, and avoiding the negative narrative jeopardising the vaccine program. We’re the single most powerful influence Victorians have on their decision to be vaccinated.
Dr Anita Muñoz – Chair, Victoria Faculty