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DoH annual Primary Care Conference a wrap

The AMA joined peak bodies and stakeholders at the department’s annual event.

This week, AMA Vice President Dr Danielle McMullen attended the Department of Health and Aged Care’s annual Primary Care Conference in Canberra.

The theme for this year’s conference was “One health system in partnership”.

The conference was attended by department officials, primary health networks (PHNs) and peak bodies across primary care.

Discussions centred around team-based care, system interconnectedness, and reducing fragmentation. There were also sessions on GPs in disaster management and the role of digital health solutions and emerging technologies like AI.

Dr Danielle McMullen represented the AMA along with three senior members of staff.

“As incoming AMA president, and a GP, I know how critical GPs are to a high-functioning primary care sector and the health system more broadly,” Dr McMullen said.

“We must support the role of the doctor in the primary care team, and we must invest in general practice.

“Conferences like this are an important way to share ideas about what works — to strengthen the best parts of our system, but make sure we fix the parts that aren’t meeting the needs of our patients, and our doctors trying to care for them.”

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