Dr Gillian Riley

I have news!

For those of you with short attention spans and/or who forgot your meds this morning (ngl I totally did) here is the executive summary.

• I have a new home at the surgery in Manuka Terrace
• Books are open
• Booking process, fees, and appointment types can be found on my website, please see links below
• I will commence on July 31.
• I’m about 77% excited 22% terrified and 4% hangry
• I’m a doctor, Jim. Not a statistician.

For the rest of you — strap in this is probably going to be quite the ramble!

2013 was a big year for me – I finished my GP fellowship, my obstetric training, and then I had a baby. All in one very short period.

Marriage didn’t last (don’t worry, we are not displeased by this). Baby was the one of the best things I ever did. The other best thing? His sibling a few years later.

What that’s meant is that I’ve spent the last decade or so in survival mode. Something I talk to all of you about, all the time with your little people, but like many people in helping professions – I am very bad at being compassionate towards myself. I’ve been surviving, but things are different now. Not easier (again, you’ll all have heard me tell you motherhood is never easy – brilliant, beautiful, challenging, complex, transformative, but easy… never). But different.

Which has left me with a moment to think about – that strangest of things. What do I want? Me.

How very odd to centre myself. Actually to be very honest quite an uncomfortable feeling. Not something I am terribly good at. Physican heal thyself they say.

There’s a very good body of evidence that says a few things. Firstly that female physicians tend to have better mortality and morbidity outcomes for their patients. Secondly that they tend to spend longer with their patients, and do more with them in their consults. Thirdly that across the board female physicians have a 25% higher request rate of busy work – messages, script requests, assistance requests from staff, other doctors and patients. And then a recent study showing that while health care workers in general have a lower mortality rate than the general population – ie if you are a female nurse or a physio or a pharmacist you will tend to live longer than the general population (usually put down to better health literacy), this does not hold true for female physicians. No one’s quite sure why – but you know. Given the rest of that data – I wonder.

General practice in Australia is funded for short consultations, high volume and high turnover. If you are a woman GP who sees high complexity, does more in a consult, and gets lots of requests from everyone around you, the answer isn’t AI scribes. It’s not more session time. It’s not “training patients to only come with one issue”. Or “getting the list out early.” It’s not “billing appropriately”. It’s not remote access at home. I’ve tried all those things that have been suggested to “improve my productivity”. I actually don’t think the problem was ever my productivity. I think it might be the system?

I like that I’m thorough 🤷🏻‍♀️. I don’t mind that you all come with lists. I think it’s better if we do it all on one appointment rather than you paying for three. I think making disparaging jokes about Dr. Google is offensive, when all it is is a patient trying to engage in her own healthcare. I think the system is designed for healthcare that’s linear except so much of human lived experience is more a big tangled swamp. And I want to be in the swamp with you. Maybe we can get Artax out at the same time and heal some of that millennial trauma.

So if the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll have to take this somewhat flawed system and try and design it so – I can do what I do best. And give you what you need. Safety, time and space to be untangled and heard.

Which is what I’m trying here. Long appointments as standard. 30 minutes. Shorter appointments will be available if there are emergencies. Starting two half days to begin with, to test the waters see if you will actually want to see me? And if this will work.

And to let me ease my way back into the work I love so very much but keeps hurting me so very badly.

If it works, then Manuka has space for me and the days will expand – and the weekends will come back as well. But it will be.. different.

One of the risks of longer appointments is less appointment availability. It also means less flexibility for fit ins and emergencies. I have tried to cater for this, but, it may take me a while to get the balance right. I hope you’ll be patient with me while I do.

You will also notice that my billing policy is different. This may come as a surprise to some of you – as it is a departure from my previous practice. Again, a lot of thought has gone into this. If you need to discuss fees – reception will be happy to explain and if necessary we can recommend alternative practices.

If you’ve managed to read this far – I thank you.

And I thank you for your patience. I am so very sorry for my absence from practice and for my sudden and unexplained departure.

Books are now open at The Surgery in Manuka Terrace – please contact them to discuss. Previous patients are welcome. New patients are also welcome.

I really look forward to working with you.

https://www.surgerymanukaterrace.com.au

Booking Information and Fees – Manuka.