Council news

The meeting of 4 May was an important one to me. It was my last Council meeting as AMA(SA) President before the AGM that followed this meeting. The Council meeting itself was shortened to make way for the AGM but as usual it featured far-ranging discussions of areas we are working on.

This was the first meeting in about three years where COVID was not the first and most discussed topic! Not that any of us believe COVID has left us, or no longer has implications for our work and the health system, but it was good to give other topics the time they deserved.

May 2023

Instead of COVID, rural issues predominated, and I think will do so over the coming year, especially with a new rurally based President. There was discussion of the recent AMA(SA) meeting with Health Minister Chris Picton, in which support for general practices in the state’s south-east was a major topic. We were lucky to have AMA(SA) Councillor Dr Richard Try’s input in that meeting.

Incoming President Dr John Williams updated the Council on the current industrial negotiations for rural GP contracts. It seems like just yesterday when the last contracts were signed off. An update on discussion around the single employer model for GP trainees occurred. If South Australia can lead the way on this funding model, I am very hopeful that we can attract and retain general practice trainees here in this state. They are sorely needed.

The Committee of General Practice remains actively involved in so many areas. Dr Bridget Sawyer spoke about ongoing concerns we have around the proposed Urgent Care Centres, particularly whether they will take pressure off ED departments and how they will be staffed in a period during which general practice is so under the pump anyway.

And then we moved on to the AGM, where Dr Williams and our new Vice President, Associate Professor Peter Subramaniam, took on their roles. We are privileged to have on Council now former Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Emily Kirkpatrick.

I look forward to being part of a strong, committeed Council and serving our new leaders in the two-year term ahead.