The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is celebrating NSW GPs and practices that have gone above and beyond in caring for patients in their communities.
The College's annual awards acknowledge GPs, registrars, GP supervisors and practice teams who make an outstanding contribution to the health and wellbeing of their patients. The RACGP NSW award winners for 2025 are:
GP of the Year: Dr Walid Jammal, who practises in Castle Hill in Western Sydney
GP Supervisor of the Year: Dr Solange Duveaux, who practises in Berry
GP in Training of the Year: Dr Sarah Woodford, a rural generalist registrar based in the New England/Northwest region
General Practice of the Year: Gundagai Medical Centre, with GP Dr Maggie-Kate Minogue and her team virtually attending the awards ceremony from Gundagai.
Dr Marguerite Harb received the Eric Fisher Award, given in recognition of her strong focus on the emotional wellbeing of her patients and colleagues. Former RACGP Vice President and NSW/ACT Chair Professor Charlotte Hespe received the Faculty Service Award after many years of service to the College, including education, quality of care, standards and research, and 113 GPs achieved Life Membership of the College.
RACGP NSW/ACT Chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman congratulated the award winners.
"Well done to this year's award winners. These awards are an excellent opportunity to recognise the incredible work being done by GPs and practice teams across the state," she said.
"This year's winners have gone above and beyond caring for their patients. They epitomise why GPs and practice team members are so highly valued by their communities. They not only provide potentially lifesaving healthcare but relieve pressure on our entire health system. So, once again, congratulations and I have no doubt you will all continue to provide the same outstanding and valuable care to people from all walks of life."
Dr Jammal has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to general practice care spanning over 25 years of service. Since the early 2000s, he has held several roles dedicated to improving patient care, and his commitment to high-quality, long-term care has made him a trusted GP to multiple generations of patients. Dr Jammal has also contributed significantly to public health education, including regularly taking part in community forums. In a part of Sydney with diverse and evolving needs, his leadership and holistic approach to patient care is invaluable.
Dr Duveaux is a great example of why rural GPs are so vital in improving the health and wellbeing of their town. Her commitment to general practice is epitomised by her practice in Berry, where she sees a wide array of patients from all walks of life and brings the best out of her practice team colleagues. Dr Duveaux always makes sure team morale is high, asking her colleagues during lunch time "what was your win this morning?" or "what was your most interesting case today?".
Dr Woodford has thrived throughout her training years. As with many rural and remote GPs, she's been described as "truly an allrounder" with the enthusiasm and commitment to upskill in many areas of medicine. Her nomination shows that she consistently goes the extra mile to boost access to care in an area facing a shortage of GPs so that no patients are left behind.
The Gundagai Medical Centre sets the standard for rural healthcare, delivering Visiting Medical Officer, or VMO, support to the local hospital, which is becoming increasingly rare in rural communities. The practice's successful nomination reflects the deep appreciation of patients who took the time to recognise the Centre's exceptional impact. One patient who nominated the practice for this year's awards said that they have been a patient since 2009 and now travel 180 kilometres to attend appointments, given the exceptionally high standard they live up to every day.
Award winners are
