It requires courage , competence and confidence .

pressures where “ taking the best medical advice ” was the mantra , but the political backrooms were awash with other agendas and priorities .

It fell to medical leaders to balance

all the imponderables and then

provide advice .

I am glad it was them and not me .

However , throughout this time ,

medical leaders have faced public

criticism : some loud and public ,

some casual .

Dr Jon Fogarty GP on the Central Coast , NSW .

Of course , decision-makers need to face questions . But they don ’ t need the carping or personal abuse that comes their way .

Armchair critics and self-ap-

PICTURE CREDIT

pointed experts can bathe in the glow of self-righteous certainty , without ever having to stand amid the ruins that may result from their advice .

Doubt is intrinsic to our work . We

Despite the few , most in the com-

can have absolute certainty about

munity greatly value the skills of

not that much . What was clinically

those who advise and those who

correct in 2002 may be nonsense in

provide care , including all who work

2022 .

in general practice .

A viral URTI may be a viral URTI ,

In a moment for the ages , the UK ’ s

but a vaguely unwell child can har-

Professor Sarah Gilbert , who led the

bour anything from a transient

Oxford-based team that developed

minor illness to a life-threatening

the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine ,

infection .

received a standing ovation on cen-

Our challenge is to straddle the gap of uncertainty , to use the planks of experience , training and evidence-based medicine to do our best

The pandemic has magnified the need to work with uncertainty .

tre court at Wimbledon last year .

With her , in the royal box , were critical transport workers , medicos and ICU nurses from the Brit-

and to make a decision .

ish National Health Service . The

In this process , we are required to

the end of the session , put them in

have done so with distinction . They

They recognised and applauded

applause was spontaneous , loud

live with doubt . It doesn ’ t sit easily

a sealed bag and take them home ?

deserve our thanks and recognition .

the work that GPs , practice nurses

and long .

and is intolerable for some .

Should we wait for Pfizer , or is Astra-

In NSW , Chief Health Officer Dr

and all general practice staff had

Ironically , the match that fol-

A few practitioners depart gen-

Zeneca good enough ?

Kerry Chant has recently started her

done .

lowed this heartfelt public appre-

eral practice because they cannot

The answers came and went .

first holiday in two years . Prior to that ,

Until the end of December 2021 ,

ciation featured Serbian megastar

live with doubt . More dangerous are

In the emerging months of the

she had worked seven days a week , 18

Professor Allen Cheng ( Victoria )

Novak Djokovic and British 19-year-

those who remain in practice but are

pandemic , there was palpable fear in

hours a day .

and Associate Professor Chris Blyth

old hopeful Jack Draper .

entirely untroubled by doubt .

the community . Health professionals

Others throughout the nation in

( WA ) were ATAGI COVID-19 working

In general practice , we need to

They remain confident , insight-

of all stripes were called upon to show

her position have done the same .

group co-chairs .

balance the harsh reality of liv-

less and a risk to their patients and

Since the start of this year , that

ing with uncertainty ( but not

colleagues .

Throughout the recent pandemic , the need to work with doubt has been magnified .

I have been in awe of all of them — in awe of their energy and their resilience .

baton has passed to Professor Katie Flanagan ( Tasmania ) and Associate Professor Michelle Giles ( Victoria ).

I have been in awe of all of them

ignorance ) with maintaining the confidence of our patients . But it ’ s more than that . Confident advice , born of the

What was true in January 2021

— in awe of their energy and their

best information we can gather and

would not be true by March 2021 .

courage , competence and confidence .

At an RACGP webinar in January ,

resilience .

delivered without hubris , is a valua-

Could we see patients face to face

Courage when many of us were

Dr Lucas de Toca , who leads the pri-

They have all been called upon to

ble therapeutic tool .

or not ? Which ones ? Will we infect

anxious for our own health and for the

mary care response to the COVID-19

make decisions and give advice in a

Balancing those two — uncer-

our own families and friends ?

health of those we love ; competence

pandemic at the federal Department

sea of ‘ known unknowns ’ and more

tainty and confidence — as we

Should we wipe everything in

when the rules changed like shifting

of Health , along with Dr Matthew

than a few ‘ unknown unknowns ’.

straddle the therapeutic path is why

the room after each patient or open

sand ; and confidence when we were

O ’ Meara , director of emergency at

They have spent endless nights

general practice remains simultane-

the windows ? Wear a mask and gog-

bombarded from all sides with expert

Sydney Children ’ s Hospital , and oth-

debating research outcomes , not

ously an art and a science .

gles and PPE for everyone , no-one or

and non-expert advice .

ers provided calm and unpretentious

all of which point in the same

some ? Should we change our clothes at

Medical leaders were called upon to lead , and in my view , they

advice based on the best data they had .

direction . They have had to face political

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