The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has welcomed new fellows as specialist GPs at a fellowship ceremony in Darwin.
They shared the spotlight with an RACGP award recipient, Dr Hang Murphy, who has gone above and beyond for her patients in Alice Springs. Fellowship of the RACGP (FRACGP) reflects a doctor's qualification and expertise as a specialist GP, following around 11 years of education, training, rigorous assessment, and experience in primary care. Multiple surveys show nine in 10 participants in the Australian General Practice Training program (AGPT), which is funded by the Federal Government, are satisfied with the quality of overall training.
RACGP President, Dr Nicole Higgins, congratulated the new fellows.
"Boosting the GP workforce must be a priority. As the peak GP body responsible for training 90% of GPs across Australia, including the Northern Territory, we're working harder than ever to ensure all communities have access to quality care from a GP they know and trust," she said.
"Following the ceremony at Parliament House in Darwin, our new GPs are ready to care for people in communities in the Territory. There is no substitute for the quality care provided by a GP who knows you and your history. So, it's vital governments and regulators do everything possible to back us to succeed and let us focus on what we do best – caring for our patients. We keep people healthy and out of hospital beds. I congratulate our new fellows and wish them all the best in their careers helping patients from all walks of life."
RACGP Northern Territory Chair, Dr Sam Heard, joined Dr Higgins in welcoming the new specialist GPs.
"These new GPs will make such a vital difference. They will provide invaluable care to patients, in cities like Darwin and Alice Springs, and also regional and remote parts of the Territory," he said.
"I can tell you from personal experience, that being a GP is such a rewarding job. Ask any GP in the Territory or across Australia, and they will tell you that every day is a new opportunity to help people in your community. People not only know who you are but value the work you do immensely. I'm glad to report that the RACGP is achieving great success bringing GPs in training to rural and remote areas where they are needed most, and this will help to boost our non-urban GP workforce in the Territory."
The fellowship ceremony also celebrated the achievements of the Territory's RACGP GP of the Year Dr Hang Murphy. Based in Alice Springs, Dr Murphy has worked tirelessly for many years in Aboriginal health at her practice, going that extra mile to improve the health and wellbeing of her patients. Despite being the only full-time GP at her practice, Dr Murphy attends many workshops and courses so that she can provide the most up-to-date healthcare possible.
Dr Hang also supervises students and is involved in a variety of research projects, with a special interest in household hygiene to prevent skin sores which can lead to rheumatic heart disease – a significant problem in her community.
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