My New Year resolution: Get my own GP
The recent emphasis on doctors’ health and wellbeing has shone a spotlight on the importance of having your own GP. With this in mind, AMA (NSW) has started a directory of GPs who are interested in taking on doctors as patients.
AMA Vice-President, Dr Tony Bartone, said there are many factors that can affect how doctors and medical students cope with the stressors of their work roles.
“Not enough doctors and medical students have a GP who they see regularly, and not enough doctors engage in preventive health care such as healthy lifestyle, proper work-life balance, and regular check-ups – simple, yet vital, actions that can keep stress and depression at bay,” Dr Bartone said.
Providing advice, support and clearer pathways to assist all doctors to find their own GP was one of the key recommendations to come out of the Final Report of the National Forum on Reducing Risk of Suicide.
The Report records the considerations and recommendations of 82 doctors – nominated by key medical stakeholder organisations – from a forum that examined the individual, organisational, and environmental issues that impact negatively on the emotional health and wellbeing of doctors.
The forum was jointly convened by the AMA and Doctors’ Health Services Pty Ltd (DrHS) in September 2017 and the report was released in late December 2017.
AMA (NSW) Launches GP Registry For Junior Doctors
Doctors in Training are reminded that they can access support services in every state/territory. While funding for these services is provided by the Medical Board of Australia, these services are independent of the MBA and funding is coordinated by the AMA. For more information visit:
