The RACGP has announced its new president-elect – QLD GP Dr Nicole Higgins.
Dr Higgins appointment was announced on Monday 12th September 2022, and she will officially start the role at the conclusion of the RACGP’s 2022 AGM on Thursday 24 November, when current president Adj. Professor Karen Price’s two-year term comes to an end.
Dr Higgins is the current chair of GP Supervisors Australia and narrowly beat the president of the Australian Society of GPs, Dr Chris Irwin, by nearly 500 votes (out of the 6500 cast) once preferences were accounted for.
Incumbent president Professor Price congratulated Dr Higgins on her victory and said she had full confidence that Dr Higgins would be a strong advocate for GPs, continuing the college’s critical work to advance general practice in Australia.
“I am confident Dr Higgins will take the challenges head on and prosecute the many opportunities to advocate for GPs, including the future of high-quality GP care in our country,” Professor Price said.
“We have come a long way in a short space of time, but there is still so much to be done.”
AMA president Professor Steve Robson also welcomed Dr Higgins as RACGP president-elect, saying the AMA looked forward to working with her in the ongoing fight to advocate for doctors.
“General practice is the cornerstone of Australia’s health system and Dr Higgins is someone who we know is passionate about general practice and already enjoys a good relationship with the AMA,” Professor Robson said.
“The AMA has always had a strong and respectful relationship with the RACGP and has worked closely with current president, Dr Karen Price… we look forward to continuing this work with Dr Higgins.”
Dr Higgins owns a regional teaching practice in Mackay and has been involved in GP training for over 20 years, winning Supervisor of the Year at the Tropical Medical Training awards in 2014, and nominated for Australian Supervisor of the Year, General Practice Education and Training Ltd 2014.
As a member of the RACGP’s Queensland Faculty Council she has demonstrated effective advocacy on state issues, regularly appearing in the media, including speaking out on issues relating to the pandemic.
She is also an alumni and mentor for the RACGP Future Leaders Program, supporting GPs to make a difference in their communities.
“I am honoured to be taking on the RACGP president role, and look forward to working with members, other GPs and stakeholders on healthcare, including the government in the months and years ahead,” Dr Higgins said.
“General practice is the most cost-effective way of keeping Australians healthy – GPs save lives and prevent illness – and for too long, the role of general practice has been undervalued, oversimplified, and defunded. Without general practice, the system fails.
“As a grass roots GP, practice owner, supervisor, working parent and primary caregiver, I understand the stressors that GPs face, and I am determined to be a strong and loud advocate for the changes we need.
Dr Higgins highlighted that as a passionate GP educator, another of her core priorities as president would be the return of the Australian General Practice Training program back to the RACGP from February 23, 2022.
“I look forward to working closely with all stakeholders to deliver world class GP training,” Dr Higgins said.
“It’s also critical that we see continued support for college-led training from all sides of government, and I will make this clear as president, because general practice training is the future of general practice and the future of care in our country – it must be a priority.
“Finally, I want to acknowledge the RACGP’s members, the GPs working hard in communities across the nation, nobody understands the issues facing our healthcare system better than you do,” she explained.
“As president of the RACGP – Australia’s largest representative body for GPs across the nation – there is no greater priority than listening to our members, speaking up for them, and fighting for the future of general practice.
“That is my commitment.”