Having gone through a pretty rigorous process to receive an All-Star Accreditation from the All Ireland Business Foundation in Croke Park, I have had a few days to reflect on being a ‘Thought Leader’ and what it meant to me and Best Practice.

When people heard about my accreditation as a thought leader, they were very supportive but many people asked me ‘What does it actually mean to me and my business?’ For me, it is a validation of my passion for Primary Care and its value to all of us within our Communities. Primary Care forms the bedrock of the Healthcare systems and Best Practice continues to advocate for its value as well as helping to ensure that the many Healthcare Professionals who are providing care to generations of families are getting the maximum return for their individual Practices.

When I looked for a full definition, I got the following: ‘Thought leaders are the informed opinion leaders and the go-to people in their field of expertise. They are trusted sources who move and inspire people with innovative ideas; turn ideas into reality, and know and show how to replicate their success. Over time, they create a dedicated group of friends, fans and followers to help them replicate and scale their ideas into sustainable change not just in one company but in an industry, niche or across an entire ecosystem.’

That sounds like pretty big shoes to fill right! But I firmly believe that if you are passionate about something as well as having many years expertise in a particular area, then you can use that platform to begin to initiate conversations with a view to bringing about positive changes.

In my journey so far, I have been privileged to work in many different Practices throughout the country as well as speak with many GPs, Nurses and administrators working in Primary Care. There is a lot of frustration in General Practice in particular at present as many feel that they are at the bottom rung of the ladder in terms of funding and resources and many have concerns around recruitment of new GPs as it is now being seen as an unattractive path to take in Medicine.

Recently, I read an award winning article from Mina Dawood, a 3rd Year Medical Student at UL, Founder/President of UL GP Interest Group and Irish National GP Interest Group. In this article, Mina talks about how General Practice was always her passion and the reason that she studied medicine.

This is a short extract from her article (ICGP Forum Cover Story - Jan/Feb 19): “FROM THE MOMENT that long awaited letter of acceptance for medical school arrives, every medical student frequently faces the above age-old question. It is a simple, harmless question and an easy conversation-starter; one that gives an insight into our interests and life goals. Unfortunately, it is a question that has often filled me with apprehension. That is because for the past few years, my answer of ‘General Practice’ has generally not been well received.”

Mina goes on to talk about how this negativity can be damaging to a student and can make them question their choices. However, Mina was resolute in her choice to pursue a career in General Practice which is what inspired her to set up the UL (University of Limerick) GP Interest Group and replicated this across other Universities.

At least 2,000 GPs will be needed in Ireland over the next 5 years as at least one third of GPs in Ireland are over the age of 60 and with many areas in Ireland already finding it impossible to recruit GPs to meet existing demands. This is resulting in Practices closing down and communities being left without a GP service.

There are many factors that contribute towards negativity towards General Practice at present and one of these is the Media. It can provide a great platform for positivity but unfortunately it is often viewed as the only means available to vent frustration, in the hope that Policy Makers will take notice.

In my experience, having spoken with a large number of GPs throughout Ireland, despite the challenges, they love what they do and like Mina, they chose a career in General Practice and many use the word ‘privileged’ when they talk about providing patient care to generations of families.

Dr Rita Doyle, President of the Irish Medical Council recently spoke with the ICGP about her role. Dr Doyle is the first woman president and first full time GP to hold the post.

Dr John Gillman, Chairperson of the ICGP quoted the following about Dr Rita: “A Career in General Practice is reflective of the totality of patient care from infancy to end of life in the Community and familial context and brings a unique and privileged insight into the lives of patients.”

Like our Medical Student Mina, Rita says she was about 4 when she realised that she wanted to be a GP and 6 when she wanted to be a Doctor. “I love the privilege of General Practice and that patients feel safe with the information that they give us. We are seeing everyone from the simplest to the most serious.”

When I listened to this interview, it further inspired me in my Business and reignited my passion for General Practice and protecting its value. Having worked in management in General Practice for over 17 years, I witnessed many changes, cuts under FEMPI and increased demands on the Service. However, the focus on patient care never changed and this has been my inspiration in setting up Best Practice.

I chose to reference both Mina and Dr Rita Doyle as I view them both as ‘Thought Leaders’ that I admire. As a non-clinical person, it was a privilege to accept this award as a ‘Thought Leader’ in Primary Care Best Practice. It is my genuine hope that over time, through my expertise and passion for this profession, that I can continue to bring about significant positive changes to General Practice.

I also hope that the two unions that represent GPs — IMO and NAGP — can somehow collaborate to get the best outcome for their members and the profession, as unity is always more powerful in bringing about change.

As I am now a recognised thought leader in Primary Care, I will endeavour to take part in conversations that challenge the status quo and support those who want to not just comment but instead work together to bring about positive changes that affect us all.

With the impending crisis in General Practice, there are many calls to reverse FEMPI and it is important to address this, however, there are other conversations that need to happen around addressing GP Recruitment and the increased demands which are being placed on GPs and their staff. I believe that the current approach needs to be changed and that more meaningful conversations need to happen as a matter of urgency.

Asumpta Gallagher is the owner and founder of Best Practice. To find out more, click on Contact.