“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” The more things change, the more they stay the same.  

Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, 1848  

Jean-Baptiste’s words perfectly reflect the phase of transition we are entering right now in General Practice education and training. From January 2022 responsibility for GP training will transfer from the Commonwealth Department of Health to the Colleges (ACRRM and RACGP), which means a period of change is upon us. And yet, much of what we do and the systems and processes that we have developed to deliver excellence in General Practice education will stay the same.

GPTQ’s current contract period with the Commonwealth Department of Health is for the calendar years 2019 to 2021 inclusive. While at some point during these three years the contract will novate in separate parts to a contract with each college, the conditions of the contract and of how we deliver training will not change during this time.

The challenge for organisations such as GPTQ during a major period of transition is to maintain our focus on delivering what matters, while also looking forward to what might be possible in a new environment. I like to think of it as achieving ‘change’ with ‘stability’ and GPTQ is more than up to the task.

As an RTO, GPTQ has been evolving since accepting its first Registrar intake in 2002. The upcoming transition has been thoroughly planned for and in the past 12 months various initiatives have been actioned to pave the way. Our District and Hub Model continues to develop and strengthen. Our IT capability is constantly improving and has undergone significant renewal. We are mindful also that the transition is likely to bring the style and platforms for our reporting to national funders and we have done the work to ensure we will be well equipped to manage this change. The standard and experience of our staff continues to grow with each new year and our educators become more skilled, refining small group learning processes to make them more effective than ever. Having experienced, skilled staff at all levels future-proofs our ability to deliver. Our systems and processes are under constant review so that we can continue to streamline and increase responsiveness.

With all these ‘changes’ at work, what then stays the same? Relationships. Maintaining the strong relationships we have built with training practices, Registrars and stakeholders is central to our success. As is our commitment to the day-to-day work that is the ‘core business’ of GPTQ — the training of skilled and self-aware GPs who will serve the needs of communities.

We will continue to deliver locally relevant training to Registrars, and provide support and training to our Supervisors and training practices.

Dr John Buckley