Skip to content
Medical Health Aged Care

GPs celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and self-determination this NAIDOC Week

Royal Australian College of GPs 3 mins read

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) is celebrating NAIDOC Week with the launch of a position statement on the Uluru Statement from the Heart reiterating the College’s support for the three pillars of voice, treaty and truth.   

RACGP President Dr Michael Wright welcomed NAIDOC Week and the launch of the position statement.

“NAIDOC Week is a time for us to reflect on and acknowledge the histories, cultures and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their vision for the future, including self-determination and honouring the strengths of communities. Our position statement backs this vision," he said.  

“The RACGP has supported the Uluru Statement from the Heart since 2018, we believe that self-determination and truth-telling are vital to achieving health equity, and health outcomes are stronger when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples take control over their communities’ health and wellbeing. This is demonstrated through Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, which provide high-quality clinical and culturally safe healthcare designed by the community, for the community. 

“Advancing the Uluru Statement from the Heart will increase real opportunities for the Government to support self-determination, implement priority reform areas and achieve targets under the National Closing the Gap agreement.   

“Celebrating NAIDOC week is very important to the RACGP, including recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GPs and restating our commitment to a culturally safe and reflective GP workforce more broadly, through implementing our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural and Health Training Framework and our commitments to a healthcare system free from racism."  

RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Faculty Chair Dr Karen Nicholls backed the President's comments.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GPs are such an important part of our health workforce and continuing to support and grow this workforce is a priority," she said.

“The RACGP runs a Yagila Wadamba program to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GPs in training and our partnerships with organisations such as the Indigenous General Practice Trainee Network and the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association are crucial to growing our GPs.  

“The RACGP currently has over 160 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GP fellows who are excelling in a wide range of healthcare settings and locations. There is strong evidence that an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare workforce delivers better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and we look forward to the day when we can celebrate our 200th GP fellow.  

“Thinking on the NAIDOC theme of ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy’ we can celebrate the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are represented across the whole spectrum of general practice. We have incredible GP leaders who have been GPs for decades and broke through barriers and paved the way, providing that legacy of strength and demonstrating what is possible for community. And we have incredible upcoming future GPs, those who are trainees, medical students or even high school students thinking about general practice. They represent the bright future ahead and are strong leaders who are backed by the vision of communities and the legacy of their ancestors.   

~ENDS 

RACGP spokespeople are available for interviews: 03 8699 0992 / [email protected]. 


About us:

About the RACGP 

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the peak representative organisation for general practice, the backbone of Australia’s health system. We set the standards for general practice, facilitate lifelong learning for GPs, connect the general practice community, and advocate for better health and wellbeing for all Australians. 

Visit www.racgp.org.au. To unsubscribe from RACGP media releases, click here. 


Contact details:

Media team: 03 8699 0992 / [email protected] 

 

Follow us on Twitter: @RACGP and Facebook. 

 

More from this category

  • Medical Health Aged Care, Research Development
  • 11/07/2025
  • 16:28
The Florey

Harnessing mRNA to prevent and slow Alzheimer’s disease

mRNA Victoria funds 2Floreyprojects to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease Key points mRNA Victoria has funded 2 Alzheimer’s disease research projects that could position Victoria as a leader in the development of mRNA-based therapies. Dr Abdel Belaidi will develop an mRNA-based system that crosses the blood-brain barrier and aims to slow or even halt disease progression. Dr Rebecca Nisbet will develop an mRNA vaccine that aims to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from developing. Florey researchers working at the cutting edge of dementia research have received funding from mRNA Victoria to develop treatments and a vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease. Since mRNA vaccines…

  • Medical Health Aged Care
  • 11/07/2025
  • 07:05
Royal Australian College of GPs

GPs urge Tasmanian families to get vaccinated against whooping cough and call for free shots to reduce barriers

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) is urging Tasmanian families to get vaccinated against pertussis, or ‘whooping cough’ and called on all parties and candidates running in the state election to commit to making the vaccination free for all patients. From 1 January 2024 to April 2025, 1238 whooping cough cases were notified in Tasmania, including 10 infants aged under six months. Most hospitalisations and deaths occur in this group, who are not old enough to have received all vaccine doses. More than 21,000 infections were recorded nationwide last year, compared to just 2450 in 2023, and the National…

  • Contains:
  • General News, Medical Health Aged Care
  • 11/07/2025
  • 07:00
La Trobe University

La Trobe researchers awarded $4.5 million in ARC Future Fellowships

LaTrobe University researchers have secured almost $4.5 million in Federal Government funding to further studies into areas such as immune cell development, Australian history and agriculture. Four researchers received an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship 2025. The prestigious Future Fellowships support high quality research in areas of national and international benefit, including in national research priorities. Dr Lisa Mielke, from the School of Cancer Medicine, the La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science (LIMS) and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI), received $1.13 million to identify new molecules for future drug and vaccine development to improve gut health in…

Media Outreach made fast, easy, simple.

Feature your press release on Medianet's News Hub every time you distribute with Medianet. Pay per release or save with a subscription.