Five general practitioners from across the country have been awarded a President’s Service Medal by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.
The President’s Service Medal is awarded annually to general practitioners who have made an outstanding contribution to the College, and to the general practice workforce. The awards were presented on Saturday night at GP22: the Conference for General Practice.
College President Dr Samantha Murton says, “The work that these five general practitioners do for the College and the general practice workforce really showcase all the different traits that make a great GP. “Through teaching in their practices or the examination process, this dedicated group are passing on important knowledge and experiences to the next generation of GPs and allowing them to get an in-depth understanding of how our specialist knowledge can also be used outside of a consultation room.”
About the recipients
Dr Joan Allardyce | Christchurch
Dr Allardyce is the Medical Director at University of Canterbury Health Centre, and through this work delivers healthcare for the whole campus community. She has been an early adopter of Cornerstone, the College’s programme that allows general practices to demonstrate their continuous commitment to improving patient safety and care, as well as a safe and efficient workplace, and Health Care Homes, a model of care designed to improve the sustainability of services for patients and general practice staff.
At a governance level, Dr Allardyce has held roles within the Christchurch Primary Health Organisation (PHO), and the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB).
Dr Allardyce has supported and enabled staff to achieve quality results within the workplace, such as nurse led diabetes outreach clinic initiatives, which won the CDHB Supreme Quality award in 2017 and continues today.
Dr Martin Wilson | Christchurch
Dr Wilson is a general practitioner with over 30 years’ experience and has been the Clinical Leader at Pegasus Health for 20 years. Dr Wilson and was the inspiration behind the HealthOne programme that began in Christchurch and now encompasses the whole of the South Island. The programme connects primary and secondary sources of data for patients around prescribed and dispensed medicines, laboratory and radiology results, and other important health information. The programme improves access of patient health information for health care professionals which is a crucial aspect to the general practice workforce.
Dr David Broad | Feilding
Based in Feilding in the Manawatu, Dr Broad has been teaching the College’s GPEP registrars for over 30 years - assisting nearly 50 registrars over this time. His teaching style is very collaborative, and he is known for providing honest and constructive feedback.
Dr Broad shows a passion for health equity and is constantly learning new ways to improve his equitable practices including learning Te Reo.
There are countless examples of Dr Broad’s diagnostic detective work and research to discover pathologies and he even had a haematological condition named on his behalf.
Dr Rachel Thomson | Tairawhiti
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Thomson (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) has been an outstanding leader for her iwi, extending her support to neighbouring iwi who are rural and isolated by providing frequent online and in person communication and clinical support for very remote populations around the East Coast.
For the College, Dr Thomson is a long-standing Medical Educator and has been extensively involved in the recent curriculum review and ensuring Māori health is taught and examined as registrars train to become general practitioners.
Dr Thomson became a Distinguished Fellow of the College in 2016.
Dr Vicki Macfarlane | Auckland
Dr Macfarlane has been a general practitioner for three decades and has developed a special interest in the management of people with addictions. She has worked for the Community Alcohol and Drug Services Auckland (CADS) since 2010, where she is the Lead Clinician for the Medical Detoxification Service. Here she provides clinical leadership to inpatients and community detoxification services.
Within this role, Dr Macfarlane contributes to education and peer review, research, development of guidelines, webinars and presentations, and primary and secondary care interactions. She is a well-known researcher in her field and is often called on for expert advice.
Within the College, Dr Macfarlane is a senior examiner for our registrars who are training to become specialist general practitioners.