Personal statement
At the last conference and AGM I finished my term on the Board and was honoured with a distinguished fellowship for services to the College. However I feel the job is only partly done and am therefore offering myself as President.
The College will face a number of challenges in the next few years with some changes in the management team. A president with experience and institutional knowledge is going even more important than it might have been at another time.
In offering myself for this role my most important qualification is being a GP and practice owner. I have approximately 1300 patients who consider me their GP. I also have understanding colleagues in my practice who willing cover for me when I am away at the various meetings required.
Along with this I have extensive experience in advocacy for General Practice and in governance roles having been on the RNZCGP Board, representing the College in a wide range of forums and have stood in as Acting President when Tim Malloy was unwell. I have also gained experience through roles with the New Zealand Medical Association having chaired the NZMA GP Council and then chaired NZMA itself. I am also currently Deputy Chair of the Hawkes Bay PHO.
With this experience I have developed important relationships within the health sector which will be invaluable in on going advocacy on behalf of the College and General Practice. Advocacy is not intermittent but an on-going process and is enhanced by those relationships of respect and trust.
The College’s main role is in promoting the quality of General Practice but one of the keys to quality is having capacity within our sector. This capacity is dependent on attracting new trainees in to our GPEP programme and training our new generation of GPs.
It also requires our practices to be viable and for the working conditions for our current GPs to be attractive enough to not only retain them but also to enhance their work experience.
The President’s role is challenging but I have the experience and the passion for General Practice to think I can do it well.
To see a full list of candidates, view the
2018 Presidential Election Candidates webpage.