WONCA Sydney 2023: August Update

Welcome to the latest edition of the WONCA World Conference Sydney 2023 Update, a monthly bulletin to keep you informed about the latest conference news and information.

With almost two months to go until this year's conference, make sure you visit the WONCA website to check out the final program, which includes a number of additional workshops. For a quick reference guide, you can also view our updated interactive flipbook.

In this latest edition, we talk to one of this year's keynote speakers from the United Kingdom, Dr Iona Heath, about her keynote presentation, "Remembering what we know," and we highlight some exciting pre-conference workshops and session insights on adolescent health, migrant care and reproductive genetics in general practice.

In case you need further tips for things to do in Sydney, read this month's Q&A with Dr Michael Tam, a member of the Conference Scientific Committee, for his recommendations on activities when in town. You will also find a snapshot of other events happening in Sydney around WONCA 2023.

Also, as part of the WONCA World Conference Sydney 2023, delegates are offered an exciting opportunity to engage with local Australian practices. If you are interested in participating in practice visits, please submit your expression of interest via email to [email protected].

In the meantime, don't forget to stay up to date on the latest conference news through the WONCA 2023 website.

We look forward to welcoming you in Sydney soon!

Yours sincerely,
Adjunct Professor Karen Price

WONCA 2023 Host Organising Committee Chair

Keynote Q&A

Each month, we share a brief Q&A with one of WONCA 2023 Sydney keynote speakers about why they are attending this year's conference.

In this edition, we speak to Dr Iona Heath, a retired general practitioner (GP) based in the United Kingdom (UK), member-at-large of the Wonca world council and past President of the UK Royal College of GPs.

Dr Heath has been a strong contributor to medical research and practice during her career. Her keynote presentation, “Remembering what we know,” will cover a range of issues important to general practice, including the improvement of health outcomes through strong systems of primary care, health inequality, continuity of care, as well as ethical issues in the practice of medicine.

How do strong primary care systems improve health outcomes?

Establishing this was the life’s work of Barbara Starfield from Johns Hopkins in the US. She wrote: “… the beneficial effects of primary care on mortality and morbidity can be attributed, at least in part, to the focus of primary care on the person rather than on the management of particular diseases.” Julian Tudor Hart put it slightly differently: “Effective health care has to be built around real continuing personal stories, not episodic fragments of standardised process.”


Why is it important to hold global conferences, such as WONCA?

Because there’s so much to learn across borders – from doctors working in different cultural contexts or in differently organised health services; from colleagues with different expertise and understanding. We need to learn from each other so that we can build the global solidarity that’s essential to resisting the damage being caused to healthcare by corporate greed and corruption.


Why do you think people should register to attend this year’s WONCA conference?

Because a world conference is always a thrilling experience.

Q&A on Sydney

In this edition, we speak with Dr Michael Tam, a member of the Conference Scientific Committee, about his top tips when visiting Sydney.

Three words to describe Sydney?
Sunny, water, multicultural.

What do you love about Sydney?

It's a beautiful city by the water, with a brilliant mix of excitement, culture, nature and relaxation.

Why should people attend the WONCA Conference 2023 in Sydney?

Because it's one of the best GP/family medicine/primary care conferences in the world, held in one of the best and most liveable cities in the world.

What top three sights do you recommend visiting in Sydney?

Royal Botanic Gardens - apart from the gardens, it also has great views of Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The Rocks Market on the weekend.
Those looking for a pub crawl - King Street in Newtown, and then continuing down Enmore Road in Enmore.

What activities do you suggest while in Sydney?

Take the walk from Circular Quay, to the Rocks, and then follow the path along the water to Walsh Bay, and then all the way to Barangaroo (or the other direction).

Catch a ferry from Circular Quay! Either the RiverCat to Sydney Olympic Park (great wetlands walking tracks) or take a ferry to Manly!

Explore the Museum of Contemporary Art (The Rocks) or the recently expanded Art Gallery of NSW (The Domain)

Sessions insight

Adolescent health

The complexity of adolescent health is a well-documented and constantly changing area of health for GPs and family doctors. At WONCA 2023, this complex topic is covered through specific sessions on adolescent health, as well as across presentation streams targeting specific health issues.

Adolescent health sessions will support GPs and family doctors in understanding and communicating with adolescents and young adults, as well as forming partnerships with parents of teens to benefit their health.

Sessions will cover youth mental health, helping to develop consultation skills in working with adolescents to improve engagement and increase physician confidence in assessing and responding to suicide and self-harm.

Sessions will include practical presentations, the analysis of case studies and the latest in research, which will also cover other adolescent health issues such as malnutrition, eating disorders, ADHD, autism, and Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome.

To explore presentations and workshops relating to this topic search ‘adolescent health’ in the WONCA 2023 program.

Migrant care

WONCA 2023’s migrant care stream offers a valuable opportunity for primary healthcare professionals to gain knowledge, skills and empathy to address the unique challenges faced by vulnerable populations and contribute to global health equity.

The Empathy in action presentation will help GPs and family doctors navigate evolving clinical practice and will build skills in the foundations of best practice, trauma-informed and inclusive care models. Participants will be able to identify and reflect on their own domestic priority population groups and the negative impacts they experience in accessing primary health care.

In How culturally competent we are? Participants will reflect on the experiences of migrant health and discuss cultural competency in the context of family medicine. Participants will gain insight into ways to deal with diversity in practice and be able to define the basic concepts of cultural competency.

Both migrant care sessions will be interactive, with presentations followed by discussion and self-reflection on their own experience.

To explore presentations and workshops relating to this topic, search ‘migrant care’ in the WONCA 2023 program.

Reproductive genetics in general practice

This interactive pre-conference workshop will cover a range of genetic testing options for GPs and their patients who are either planning a family or are already pregnant.

The workshop will include an overview of reproductive carrier screening (RCS), including a 3-gene screen and expanded screen high-risk result, as well as a presentation on Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening, which covers a high-risk NIPT result and resources available to assist in the provision of genetic testing.

As an interactive workshop, the presentation for each of the topics will be followed by a series of case studies and small group discussions, providing multiple opportunities for questions, comments and discussion.

Reproductive Genetics in General Practice will run as part of the pre-conference workshop on Wednesday 25 October 2023 from 9am to 3pm.