The President's Message – 4 April 2024
Hello and kia ora everyone. I’m Dr Jacqueline Small, President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional owners and custodians of the lands I’m joining you from. I extend my respect to all Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori people. Together we restate our shared commitment to advancing Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori health and education as core business of the RACP.
Today, I want to brief you on some major investments, as part of a broader business and technology strategy that the College has committed to. Over the next five years we intend to transform our technology landscape, including our website and other member facing systems. I want to share with you three important large-scale initiatives that are critical to our short-term future. These projects will have a considerable operational effect on the College.
But first – some background. We know that our current delivery of services is not meeting your expectations and must improve. In education, we operate using a range of outdated technology systems and manual processes to deliver our current training programs. Some of our current systems cannot support the new Basic and Advanced Training curricula that we are implementing to meet AMC accreditation requirements, and they need replacing.
Our team members sometimes need to access up to 11 separate systems to respond to and resolve a single enquiry from a Fellow or trainee. Obviously, this impacts our ability to deliver prompt service to you. We know this cannot continue.
Our AMC accreditation to train physicians requires us to implement the new Basic and Advanced Training curricula. To address both of those things – we need significant investment in technology.
Our College is financially strong. We have minimal short-term debt, no long-term debt and $50 million in cash and liquid assets. But that strong financial position has been accrued at the expense of under-investment in technology over many years. And in the past, our track record in executing technology projects has not been good.
However, we need to apply the lessons learnt from those experiences and can’t delay significant investment any further. We know there are challenges and to address them, the Board has approved several major multi-year projects.
Later this year, we will implement a new training management platform. This new platform will ensure Basic and Advanced Trainees, their supervisors and Directors of Physician Education have a seamless online interface that fully supports them throughout all stages of learning and assessment in the new curricula. The platform will be progressively rolled out from late-2024 through 2025. In parallel, we are accelerating the renewal of our Advanced Training curricula, embedding best practice medical education approaches.
Finally, we will be starting to implement a new member relationship platform. This system will deliver a more personalised and supportive service to you as individual members throughout your career journey with our College, and again, will be a multi-year project.
I know some of you will have concerns about us implementing two major new IT systems in parallel. I want to reassure you we are approaching these projects very differently from projects like TRACC. Our new systems are based on Microsoft Dynamics, a platform already in use by other medical colleges.
While there will be some customisation, we are not designing bespoke applications. IT projects are challenging, even for the largest organisations. We have engaged KPMG as our implementation partner. They were selected after a thorough procurement process and have significant experience with Microsoft Dynamics. They also know the College environment well and bring strong project management discipline.
The Board will also need guidance in overseeing these projects. We are creating an external advisory group of experts to assist the Board with subject matter expertise and oversight. These three immediate projects will place significant demands on us and mean we will have to de-prioritise other activities to focus on these critical initiatives.
To support us with additional technology capabilities and experience, last month we announced a new Chief Information Officer role on the Senior Leadership Team. That role provides strategic direction and leadership for all aspects of information technology. David Bough has joined us on an interim basis in the role, while we recruit a permanent candidate. David’s most recent role was Program Director at CPA Australia where he oversaw a multi-year digital transformation.
Now, to the financials. The investment in technology will see us report major deficits for the next four years before returning to surplus in 2028. We expect that the largest deficit will be this year and will be in excess of $10 million. These projects will be funded from the College’s $50 million in retained earnings, essentially money that we have in the bank.
And so, while we will report an accounting loss, we do not anticipate having to borrow or increase fees beyond typical inflationary increases to fund these investments. They will effectively be funded by money that we have saved for this very sort of purpose. Again, to repeat, the College has a strong balance sheet to fund these investments. This is a prudent and carefully thought through investment strategy. It ensures we can provide support for our AMC-mandated new curricula, and the types of services you are demanding as members.
These three projects and those that follow will be subject to rigorous controls and expenditure gates, and frequent reporting to the Board. The new Training Management Platform will be implemented in a phased approach from late-2024 to avoid disrupting the 2024 training cycle. We will make more information available on a dedicated section of the College website as we progress throughout these projects. You can email me with any questions you have.
I’d like to emphasise these projects are unaffected by our CEO, Lee Whitney, notifying us of his resignation. On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Lee for coming to this decision quickly, and for progressing several major projects during his time at The RACP. Over the coming weeks, Lee will continue to assist the Board and senior executive team to minimise disruption to the College and its current transformation processes.
Thank you for watching.
Dr Jacqueline Small
RACP President
To contact Jacqueline, please email president@racp.edu.au
RACP Congress is coming up soon and is being held at Sydney’s International Convention Centre on Thursday, 16 and Friday, 17 May. The program covers diverse topics that will impact the future of our profession. This is a great opportunity to hear from local and international subject matter experts across different specialties, earn your CPD hours and network with your colleagues.
Some of the keynote sessions:
Ferguson-Glass Oration: Professor Neil Greenberg, Professor of Defence Mental Health, King's College London will discuss the mental health of healthcare staff and what can be done to improve it
Women in Medical Leadership: A powerhouse panel of medical experts will share their remarkable journeys and insights as they explore the opportunities and challenges that accompany women in leadership roles within the healthcare landscape. Hear from Dr Sarah Clarke, President of the Royal College of Physicians, London, Dr Camilla Kingdon, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, London, Professor Rosmawati Mohamed, Master of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia alongside our very own RACP President, Dr Jacqueline Small, and President-elect, Professor Jennifer Martin.
Priscilla Kincaid-Smith Oration: Presented by Professor Donald Campbell on Innovation in the midst of busyness: clinical practice and healthcare systems design. From pioneering programs for high-needs patients to leading a trial on intranasal heparin for COVID-19, Professor Campbell's work is reshaping the future of healthcare.
Howard Williams Medal Oration: Presented by Professor Alistair Gunn, Professor of Paediatrics and Physiology at the University of Auckland. The Howard Williams Medal recognises a member of the Paediatrics & Child Health Division who has made an outstanding contribution to improving the health of children and young people in Australia and/or Aotearoa New Zealand. Professor Gunn will be presenting on The development of therapeutic hypothermia; from bench to cotside.
There are also sessions on health and wellbeing in the healthcare sector, clinical updates covering a range of topics, how Artificial Intelligence is shaping the healthcare landscape, and how current practices will shape future physician training. This is shaping up to be an insightful two days and we hope to see you there.
Register now
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting medical and healthcare systems globally. An expert in this field, Professor Enrico Coiera will present a roadmap for AI in healthcare in Australia. Following Professor Coiera’s presentation, he will be joined by our panel who will share their experiences of using AI to help shape the healthcare landscape. Dr Anupam Rao is one of the panelists, who has been cited in various esteemed medical journals.
See this session exclusively at RACP Congress, held in Sydney on Thursday, 16 and Friday, 17 May. Fellows receive CPD hours for their attendance, which we automatically log in MyCPD for you.
Register now
In the leadup to the 2024 Australian Federal Budget, the RACP has called upon the Australian Government to fully restore all MBS specialist telehealth items that were rescinded in June 2022 in our submission. We are also calling on the Government to retain all current MBS specialist video consultation items. In a recent ABC news interview, the Hon Kirsty McBain, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, noted RACP telehealth advocacy and its relevance to regional, rural and remote areas. This was preceded by wide promotion of our telehealth advocacy points in a range of media, such as The Australian.
The RACP is also engaging with the Independent Hospital and Aged Care Pricing Authority as a selected invitee to inform a costing framework for telehealth and virtual care activities conducted in hospital settings. Our participation aims to ensure all clinical activities undertaken by members are captured and costed for fair Activity Based Funding allocations to our hospitals, matching the demands of contemporary patient care.
The Therapeutics Goods of Administration (TGA) invited The RACP to comment on a key consultation on the management of medication shortages in Australia. The consultation was a valuable opportunity to heighten awareness of the challenges RACP members and their patients face during a shortage. It also covers strategies for the improvement of TGA medicines supplies monitoring and communication, the attraction of international medicines manufacturers, and stimulation of local medicines markets. The submission emphasised the need to ensure that minimum medicine stocks are retained for priority groups and encouraged the TGA to develop contingency plans for the redirection of critical medicines during shortages.
The TGA also sought the RACP’s advice on its proposal to remove GLP-1 receptor agonist analogues from the pharmacist extemporaneous compounding exemption. Based on feedback from relevant College bodies, affiliated specialty societies and expert members, the College offered its broad support for the TGA’s regulatory amendment. The College’s advice also highlighted the risk of treatment interruption for patients using GLP-1 RAs for diabetes and obesity in the absence of alternative treatments that are affordable and similarly effective.
The RACP has long advocated for national regulations to reduce junk food advertising to children on all forms of media through our Switch off the Junk campaign.
Our advocacy and leadership on the issue was recognised by the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) in our participation in design workshops for a national regulatory system attended by PCHD President, Professor Nitin Kapur in late 2023.
The College has now followed-up with a written submission to the DoHAC on the detailed design of an effective regulatory system that promotes the health and longevity of children from the earliest point in life. Thank you to our members for your valuable input to these RACP submissions.
RACP Foundation is a respected as a supporter and enabler of high-quality health and medical research. Some of the opportunities currently available include:
Neil Hamilton Fairley Medal
Nominations for the Neil Hamilton Fairley Medal for 2025 are now open. Established in 1969, this medal is awarded by the RACP every five years to recognise an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of medicine. This award is open to RACP Fellows as well as individuals outside the RACP. The nominee must be nominated by a Fellow of RACP to be considered. Details on the nomination process and selection criteria are available on the RACP Foundation webpage. Nominations close on Wednesday, 31 July 2024.
International Grants
Awards of up to $15,000 are available to medical graduates or specialists from outside Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand who intend to further their knowledge in fields of medical education and research, to improve health outcomes in their home country. For further information and eligibility criteria, please see the International Grants webpage. Applications close on Sunday, 30 June 2024.
Education Development Study Grants for 2024
Education Development Study Grants provide funding for further educational training or the development of educational initiatives. There are several grants offered, including the Skilled Medical Scholarship for the Advancement of Indigenous Health. The closing date is Monday, 15 April 2024.
RACP Foundation Research Awards
The RACP Foundation offers upwards of 50 Research Awards each year, worth a total of approximately $2.5M across the different categories. Most awards are available to Fellows and trainees across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Please refer to the RACP Foundation webpage for information on eligibility requirements for each award. These awards are made possible by donations from members, partner organisations, bequests and benefactors. Applications for 2025 open on Wednesday, 1 May 2024.
Research Award recipients
Congratulations to all RACP Foundation Research Award recipients for 2024. The complete lists of current and previous recipients are available on the RACP Foundation Award Recipients webpages.
You are invited to the launch event of the 2023 MJA–Lancet Countdown Report on health and climate change: sustainability needed in Australia’s healthcare sector on Tuesday, 9 April 2024 from 3pm to 5pm AEST at the University of Sydney and online via livestream. Please see the event website to register for the event and to find out more.
RACP President, Dr Jacqueline Small, will be speaking at the event alongside Dr Madeleine Skellern from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care and leading academics in climate change and health.
The RACP has worked with the MJA-Lancet team since 2017 and we are currently providing input on a policy brief based on the 2023 MJA-Lancet Countdown Report. The policy brief is due to be released later this year.
Are you interested in being involved in the RACP’s climate change and health work? Visit our website to find out more and submit your expression of interest in joining Policy and Advocacy Interest and Advisory Groups.
The RACP hosted an Evolve exhibition at the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) Society of Respiratory Science 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting. We promoted the TSANZ Evolve recommendations on low-value care practices. Attendees discussed clinical and patient centred care matters related to low-value care, enjoyed Evolve-branded notebooks and pens and 17 College members signed up to the Evolve Policy and Advocacy Interest Group.
To learn about TSANZ Evolve recommendations, watch the animation videos: TSANZ adult medicine Evolve recommendations and TSANZ paediatrics and child health medicine Evolve recommendations.
Join the Evolve Policy Reference Group and help shape Evolve. Please email evolve@racp.edu.au to join.
Listen now
Today’s guests are the hosts of This Medical Life, a podcast that delves into the archives of medical history. Dr Travis Brown describes the period after World War I when the Spanish Flu was killing tens of millions around the world. In the USA, whiskey was thought to be a powerful prophylactic but distribution was not an easy thing. Later in the episode (22 minutes) is the equally unlikely tale of how the pomegranate made its way from ancient myth onto this podcast by way of Henry VIII.
Guests
Dr Travis Brown MBBS, FRCPA (ClinPath Pathology)
Steve Davis MBA FAMI CPM (Talked About Marketing)
Please visit the Pomegranate Health webpage for a transcript and supporting references. Log in to MyCPD to record listening and reading as a prefilled learning activity. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox or any podcasting app.
Over the past six months, our new office spaces in Sydney have been used for a number of key member and team member meetings and local events. The versatility and accessibility of the spaces also makes them suitable for selected examinations.
As a result, the following Faculty and Chapter examinations have exclusive use of Level 27, 1 O'Connell Street, Sydney on the days specified below:
Members are still welcome to use the facilities, including meeting rooms and our historic members lounge, at 145 Macquarie Street, Sydney. Please email Member Services if you need assistance in booking a suitable space.
We appreciate your understanding as we provide our exam candidates a safe, secure and controlled examination venue. We also extend our thanks and welcome to those Fellows and team members who will be conducting and supervising these important exams.
Support for Rural Specialists in Australia (SRSA) helps rural specialists stay skilled and engaged so they can provide the best care to their communities. Eligible applicants are invited to apply for a grant of up to $12,000 to complete CPD activities such as conferences, workshops, clinical attachments, and peer review. Applications close on Monday, 15 April 2024. Visit the SRSA website for more information and to submit an application. SRSA is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and managed by the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges.
Eligibility
To apply for an SRSA grant, you must work rurally (Modified Monash Model categories 2-7) as either:
- a (non-GP) specialist
- an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander specialist trainee
- a specialist international medical graduate under assessment.
The Regional Medical Specialist Association 2024 Annual Conference is held on Friday, 14 to Sunday, 16 June in Mackay, QLD. It is a pivotal event in Australian regional health services. Every year, specialists from across the nation are invited to gather to discuss important issues including the perennial shortage of specialists outside the capital centres, connect with their peers and exchange insights on a wide range of organisational, clinical and political topics.
Find out more
Save on all your favourite lifestyle and service brands from leading retailers across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand with RACP Benefits. Our new lifestyle benefits portal offers you exclusive discounts and genuine savings on items in a range of popular categories. To celebrate the launch of RACP Benefits, we have some great offers for you to explore. So log in today and take advantage of your RACP Benefits.
As healthcare workers who dedicate our lives to helping others, it’s important to take the time to care for ourselves. We would like to remind everyone that it's okay to not be ok. If you need someone to talk to, you can reach out to the RACP Support Program. It's a free, 24/7 and completely confidential support service that is delivered externally through Converge International.
Whether you have something worrying on your mind, are finding getting out of bed to be a struggle, or just feel like talking to someone for helpful, judgement-free advice, this free support service may be just what you need.
Find out more
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