Rediscovering the heart of general practice
24 Oct 2025
As the healthcare system continues to change, Dr Justin Coleman emphasizes the importance of remembering what makes general practice truly valuable.
Although technology, diagnostic tools and healthcare systems are constantly improving, Dr Coleman highlights that the core of general practice remains unchanged – connection, continuity and care.
“General practice became such a powerful force for good because of the countless dedicated professionals working tirelessly to support our health system,” he explained to newsGP.
“Communities with more trained and supported GPs perform better than those with more hospitals or wellness experts.
Those 15 minutes in a GP’s consultation room are the most effective part of our health system.
Few people outside our profession understand the true value of this time.”
A GP with over a decade of experience in rural and remote areas, Dr Coleman has worked in the Northern Territory, including the Tiwi Islands, and has also been a practice owner in Victoria.
He is currently a Senior Medical Educator with the RACGP and works as a GP at Inala Indigenous Health Service in Brisbane, on Turrbal and Jagera Country.
At GP25 in November, he will give a keynote speech focusing on what matters most in rural and remote general practice – discussing what has improved over the past decade and what still needs to change to ensure a strong future.
Dr Coleman points out that while advances in communication, retrieval systems and staff training have made emergencies easier to handle, the daily work of managing chronic diseases remains the foundation of care in rural areas.
“The ongoing effort of managing chronic illness and preventing complications – more than emergency medicine – is what keeps communities alive and healthy,” he said.
Reflecting on his time working in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Dr Coleman describes the experience as both professionally and personally life-changing.
“It’s endlessly fascinating,” he said.
“Even after 24 years, every week brings a new situation or person I haven’t encountered before. Health and wellness are far more complex than I ever realized during my training.”
Dr Coleman believes some of the most meaningful moments in general practice are not from dramatic interventions, but from persistence and compassion.
“Some days you’re simply supporting someone through difficult life circumstances, unable to make a significant impact on their health despite the challenges.
But you keep going, and that helps them keep going – and before long, they have more energy and can focus on what really matters.”
Looking forward to GP25, Dr Coleman says the conference will provide an opportunity for GPs to “recharge, reconnect and reflect”.
“It’s a meeting place for ideas and enthusiasm – a reminder of why we chose this rewarding profession in the first place,” he said.
“You’ll return to work feeling refreshed: a more confident clinician with a renewed sense of the difference you can make in people’s lives.”
GP25 will take place in Brisbane, on Turrbal and Jagera Country, from 14 to 16 November 2025.
Early bird registrations close on Monday, 27 October at 11:59 pm. For information on registration, pre-conference workshops and the full program, visit the GP25 website.
