New voices join the call for sustainable general practice

The General Practice Owners Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (GenPro), whose objectives include providing strong, credible and effective national representation for New Zealand’s network of general practice and urgent care business owners, has confirmed the results of its annual Board election which will see two new Board appointments strengthen representation for the sector.

GenPro announced the results of the election at its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 18 October 2022 which was also attended by the Minister of Health, Hon. Andrew Little.

The candidates successfully elected to fill the two Board vacancies are:

• Dr Mary English, GP and owner of Kelburn GPs in Wellington
• Dr Stephanie Taylor, GP Partner at St Heliers Medical in Auckland

GenPro Chair, Dr Tim Malloy, said “I am delighted that GenPro members have elected two new Board members of the highest calibre. The skills and expertise that both Dr English and Dr Taylor bring to the Board will significantly strengthen the Board’s ability to successfully represent, and advocate for, general practice at a time when the sector is facing unprecedented pressure from a rising workload and reducing resources. I am looking forward to working with them both”.

Dr Mary English is a GP and owner of Kelburn GPs in Wellington. She is also the Chair of the Wellington Accident and Urgent Medical Centre.

Upon hearing of her election success, Dr English said, “New Zealand stands at the crossroads of a significant health sector change and it is now, more than ever, that we need strong general practice.

“I strongly support GenPro’s advocacy for our general practice teams, our patients and our workforce and business viability. Our clinical experiences are rooted in the communities we serve and our patients are best cared for by the general practice team which knows them best”.

Dr Stephanie Taylor is a GP Partner at St Heliers Medical in Auckland and is also Clinical Director of Green Cross Health’s Medical Division.

Dr Taylor said, “I strongly support GenPro because I am worried about the sustainability of general practice and the pressures it is under. I find it unacceptable that our high needs and Māori communities are not receiving adequate levels of care and many clinics, especially in rural areas are simply unable to recruit staff. Those practices that are able to continue providing services, are drowning in both the clinical demands and bureaucracy.”

Dr English and Dr Taylor join the GenPro Board with immediate effect.