Close to 10,000 GPs voted in this year’s college election, an increase of more than 2000 on the last election.
Perth GP Dr Ramya Raman has won this year’s RACGP election, which boasted the largest voter turnout in recent years.
Dr Raman, a long-time board member who had served as the RACGP’s Western Australia faculty chair and the college vice president, would take over the reins from Dr Michael Wright at the college Annual General Meeting in November.
One of Dr Raman’s key election promises was to cap college membership fee increases at the same indexation percentage applied to MBS rebates.
“I’m proposing this because members can’t absorb fee increases that are disconnected from the financial reality of general practice,” she told The Medical Republic during the campaigning period.
Speaking to TMR, she said the biggest threat currently facing general practice was the “cumulative devaluing and the fragmentation” of the profession.
“We’re facing mounting pressure to adopt funding models that shift financial risk onto GPs and increase government control over clinical care,” Dr Raman said.
“My position on this is that reform must strengthen comprehensive specialist GP care, not progressively dismantle it.”
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In her original campaign materials, she set out five priorities: valuing GP care, protecting continuity, backing every GP, building influence, and focussing the college.
“My focus as president will be on ensuring GPs are properly valued, funded, and supported to provide the high-quality care their patients and communities rely on,” Dr Raman said today.
“That means working constructively with governments but also advocating strongly when change is needed. We need sustainable funding for general practice, a strong and supported GP workforce, and better access to care for patients wherever they live.
“There are significant challenges ahead, but there is also a real opportunity to strengthen general practice for the future.”
A total 9866 votes were cast this year, a significant jump compared to the 7105 cast in the 2024 election and the 6443 cast in 2022.
In terms of the total college membership, this represented a 24.8% voter turnout.
Dr Raman received 5386 first-preference votes, giving her an absolute majority of 54%. The count did not proceed to count second preferences.
The other two candidates, Victorian faculty chair Dr Anita Muñoz and Queensland GP Dr Gavin Colthart, received 3611 and 869 votes respectively.
On LinkedIn, Dr Muñoz wrote that she congratulated Dr Raman and that she “look[ed] forward to Ramya delivering her election promises for our profession and our businesses”.
“I am grateful to everyone who supported my candidacy and particularly to those who gave their time, advice and encouragement along the way,” Dr Muñoz wrote.
“I am now looking forward to life beyond the College and to the opportunities that may bring.”
She confirmed with TMR that her term as Victoria chair would be ending in November, at which point she will leave the board.
Dr Colthart did not respond to a request for comment.
Dr Raman was unable to comment in her capacity as RACGP president-elect.
