Dr Sam Heard announced as head of Northern Territory RACGP faculty

After more than 60 years, the Northern Territory now has a leading doctor representing us. Here’s what it will mean for general practice.

A local voice will present Northern Territory doctors at a national level with an experienced general practitioner appointed to the role.

And their determined leader is excited to fight for more enticing and enjoyable working conditions.

Alice Springs-based GP Dr Sam Heard was this week announced as the head of the new Northern Territory faculty for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Dr Heard spent the start of his career in the UK but returned to Darwin in the early 1990s.

He has worked as an educator and in clinics across Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs.

Dr Sam Heard is the head of the new NT faculty of RACGP. Picture: Supplied

Dr Heard welcomed the new NT-based faculty, along with all the GPs in the Territory.

“It’s been a long time coming having a faculty so we’re very pleased,” he said.

“Us having a faculty is really critical because we can make sure doctors are trained to be doctors in this part of the country.”

Dr Heard said first and foremost he hoped having a local faculty would improve working conditions.

“The biggest challenge is to keep working even though you don’t have enough colleagues.

“I am confident that the RACGP will seize this opportunity to address challenges such as the maldistribution of GPs across Australia, which is particularly pronounced in rural and remote areas including in the Territory.”

He said remote areas across the Territory were struggling worse than they had previously, with places such as Katherine and Nhulunbuy down to their last few primary practice doctors, and Tennant Creek currently without a single GP.

“It’s catastrophic this year — the registrars are not coming to the Territory to train,” he said.

“We peaked in 2016 with 60 and 2023 it’s looking like seven will come.”

He also said bulk-billing was a huge issue for general practices as they struggled to afford to keep going with the Medicare freeze.

The College will move to a national model of training next year, and Dr Heard said he hoped that would lead to more doctors choosing to train in the NT.

“As it goes back to the national program there’s an opportunity for doctors part way through their training to come and work in different areas,” he said.

“That’s one opportunity but we’re going have to try and find other ways to encourage people to come here.

“Let’s hope some of the people in the cities would like to do something different.”

Dr Heard has a wealth of experience, and an Order of Australian medal, under his belt and despite being 67 years old, does not seem like slowing down.

“I will work hard every day in this role to ensure that patients everywhere in Territory can access high-quality general practice care when they need it,” he said.

Originally published as Dr Sam Heard announced as head of Northern Territory RACGP faculty