A Northern medical practice has cleaned up at this year's Royal Australian College of General Practcioners Tasmanian awards.
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Held in Hobart on Saturday night, Newstead Medical Centre was named practice of the year, while practice partner Dr Toby Gardner was awarded GP supervisor of the year, for his work training and mentoring younger doctors.
The awards also served as a fellowship ceremony for the latest round of GPs to complete their training, with Newstead's Dr Georgia Bavin taking out the Tasmanian medal for highest score in the fellowship exam.
Recognising innovation and doctors who go above and beyond the call of duty, Dr Gardner credited the success of the practice's newly opened Urgent Care Centre for the recognition.
"It's a testament to everything we have been putting in to get urgent care up and running," he said.
"It's been four years in the making. We just feel it's a recognition of what everyone's put in, to turn it into the practice that it is."
Aimed at taking pressure off the Launceston General Hospital emergency department, the UCC opened on March 1 and represents a first of its kind for the state.
In July the centre also received state government funding allowing it to extend its opening hours to seven days a week.
Dr Gardner said the UCC continued to go from strength to strength, with an influx of visitors for the weekend's AFL finals keeping them particularly busy.
"Weekends like this shows there is a real need for it," he said.
"It's been really good. We've really found we've been able to find that niche and help people who would otherwise be waiting in emergency departments. It's been really well received by the community so far."
Dr Gardner and Newstead Medical Centre are now vying for national honours, with the RACGP Australian winners to be announced on November 20.
Considering Tasmania's success at last year's event, with Wynyard's Saunders Street Clinic named practice of the year, and principal Dr Jim Berryman named GP supervisor of the year - it could be a case of history repeating itself.
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