Outstanding GPs Recognised At College Award Ceremony

A highlight of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners annual conference is the Fellowship and Awards ceremony.

At GP21: the conference for general practice, which was held over the weekend (6-8 August), the College celebrated outstanding GPs across five categories.

The College also formally recognised the 2020 award recipients who were unable receive their award in person last year with the conference cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

This year, six GPs were awarded Distinguished Fellowship for services to the College or rural health who have made a sustained contribution to general practice, medicine or the health and wellbeing of the community. They are the College’s Medical Director Dr Bryan Betty (Wellington), Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen (Auckland), Dr Branko Sijnja (Balclutha), Dr Clare Healy (Christchurch), Dr Peter Fleischl (Taupo), and Dr Sandra Jessop (Hawke’s Bay).

The President’s Service Medal was awarded to five GPs for outstanding contribution to the College or rural health.

Ten GPs from right across the country received a Community Service Medal for their outstanding contribution to their communities.

The Humphrey Rainey Medal for Excellence, awarded to the doctor with the highest marks in the College’s clinical and written exams went to Dr George Ansley from Tauranga.

This is the second year presenting the Dr Amjad Hamid Medal, which memorialises a rural heart doctor who died in the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack. The award is for the top mark in the University of Otago’s cardiorespiratory medicine for rural hospitals paper. This year there were two GPs with the same top mark, Dr Jonathan Penno (Canterbury) and Dr Sarah Scott (Bay of Islands).

Dr Samantha Murton, President of the College, says, "The College award ceremony is definitely a perk of the job. It gives me great joy to shake the hands of these exceptional GPs and say thank you for the work they are doing for their communities, the College and the GP workforce.

"I am so thankful we were able to hold our conference this year and that we were able to give the proper recognition to our 2020 award winners too."

The full list of award winners for 2021 is below:

Distinguished Fellowship

Dr Branko Sijnja, Balclutha

Dr Bryan Betty, Wellington

Dr Clare Healy, Christchurch

Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen, Auckland

Dr Peter Fleischl, Taupō

Dr Sandra Jessop, Hawke’s Bay

President’s Service Medal

Dr Maia Melbourne-Wilcox, Christchurch

Dr Chris Wright, Wellington

Dr Shane Cross, Kaikohe

Dr Ali Begg, Christchurch

Dr Frances McClure, Mission Bay

Community Service Medal

Dr James Chisnall, Motueka

Dr Jonathan Chambers, Christchurch

Dr Mark Taylor, Hamilton

Dr Rachel Shouler, Tarawera

Dr Sandhya Ramanathan, Auckland

Dr Mike Jenkin, Swanson

Dr Hamish Wilson, Dunedin

Dr Maelen Tagelagi, Auckland

Dr Murray Smith, Ōmokoroa

Dr Susie Lawless, Dunedin

Humphrey Rainey Medal for Excellence

Dr George Ansley, Tauranga

Dr Amjad Hamid Medal

Dr Jonathan Penno, Canterbury

Dr Sarah Scott, Bay of Islands

More information on the awards can be found here.

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