The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has welcomed the appointment of RACGP past President Professor Michael Kidd AO as Australia's Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
Professor Kidd is a globally respected medical leader, GP, researcher, and educator.
He was Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Principal Medical Advisor in the Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic and World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) President from 2013-16.
When Professor Kidd commenced as RACGP president in 2002, the College was under significant financial challenge. Under his leadership, the College rebuilt its membership and established Australia's first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health faculty in a medical college, and the RACGP's Research Foundation.
The Foundation was relaunched in March 2025 as the Australian General Practice Research Foundation, with Professor Kidd as its patron.
Professor Kidd received the Rose Hunt Medal, the College's the highest award, in 2014.
He has held academic and research leadership roles in Australian and overseas universities and currently has a dual appointment between Oxford University and the University of New South Wales in the International Centre for Future Health Systems.
In this role, Professor Kidd is leading a new national multidisciplinary consortium for primary care research, which will design, test and innovate models of care to better meet the needs of patients across Australia.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright congratulated Professor Kidd and welcomed his appointment as CMO.
"Michael Kidd is a true medical leader and exemplar of the value of generalism in medicine, combining breadth of understanding of medical challenges, depth of knowledge, and sound judgement to identify problems and develop long-term solutions," he said.
"When Professor Kidd commenced as RACGP president, the College faced many challenges.. It's not an overstatement to say he restored the viability of the College and is an inspiration to many of our members.
"He didn't just help to rebuild the RACGP as a medical college, he expanded its role in Australia's health system and helped thousands of us see the potential for what the RACGP could be.
"Professor Kidd also led the primary care response to COVID-19 in Australia primary care, the biggest health challenge in generations.
"His leadership included the rapid establishment of telehealth, which has been called a decade's worth of reform in 10 days. This delivered both continuity of, and access to care for our patients and brought forward enormous change which GPs and patients continue to benefit from.
"I am excited to see the potential impact of having a GP appointed to this crucial health system role for the first time."
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