General practitioners will

• be unified in their purpose of providing quality medical care to individuals, families and the community,
• have partnerships with patients and carers that promote maximum independence, self-care and self-responsibility for health,
• be assisted in the care of patients through utilising advanced technology, electronic communication links with providers of health services, and information systems to guide best practice,
• be able to develop initiatives in primary health care and create opportunities for better patient care as a result of the shift of resources from hospitals to communities,
• be actively involved in research, evaluation and teaching and be appropriately remunerated for these activities,
• acknowledge the diversity of their profession and show respect and openmindedness
  in dealing with each other and other health professionals,
• embrace the team approach that ensures their central role in the coordination and
  integration of health care,
• be recognised for their essential role in health care delivery through appropriate remuneration and support,
• be proud to work in general practice.

General practice will

• provide a well-trained workforce that operates within a recognised discipline of knowledge and skills supported by systems designed to ensure that skills are maintained and developed,
• remain the prime entry point to specialists and other medical services,
• have a variety of practice models to meet differing community needs and settings that support professional independence in the interests of quality care,
• play a pivotal role in the management of chronic illness in the community,
• ensure that medical schools provide a strong focus on primary health care in medical curricula and provide inspirational general practice teachers and role models,
• have an accreditation process that is supported by patients, the community and general practitioners,
• have clear and well-developed mechanisms for consultation with consumers, governments and others who impact on primary health,
• have a recognised role in the planning and development of health services and be an active participant in the ongoing evaluation of the effects of policy implementation,
• be positioned at the heart of the health care system through collaborative efforts with consumers, Divisions of General Practice and other groups, enablingpatients and communities to receive seamless delivery of their health care.

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