For years, general practice has almost been the forgotten child of Australia’s healthcare system — at least in the eyes of healthcare funders.

Ribbon cutting ceremonies at shiny new hospitals just seem so much more glamorous than investing in preventive health to stop people from needing to go there in the first place.

However, COVID-19 — and in particular the vaccine rollout — has reinforced general practice’s place at the tip of the spear of the healthcare system.

Not only has the Federal Government turned to us, but so have concerned patients, desperate for advice from the medical experts who know them best.