Glen Innes-born doctor Richard Abbott was recognised for long service and dedication at the NSW Rural Doctors Association and NSW Rural Doctors Network Conference in Sydney, on Saturday, December 1.
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Dr Abbott received the Rural Medical Service Award for more than 35 years as a country GP, practising in Scone; and the prestigious Bowman Cutter Award for his contribution towards political issues related to rural health.
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“It’s very good to have some recognition of long service,” Dr Abbott said, “but obviously you don’t do this alone.
“You do it with the support of your family, friends, and colleagues. I see it more as a group award than an individual award.
“A rural generalist doesn’t practice alone; they practice within a team, and it’s through the teamwork that they provide the good health outcomes and hopefully higher quality care to the local communities.”
Dr Abbott grew up in Glen Innes, and was the first in his family to become a doctor.
"I had mentors and role models in the rural scene – some of the older GPs around Glen Innes and places – and I thought that'd be an interesting lifestyle."
His family were lawyers and farmers; his paternal grandfather started the APJ Law firm in Glen Innes, in 1895, while his mother’s family, the Lynns, have been on the land in Grahams Valley since the 1870s.
Dr Abbott went to primary school in Glen Innes, then boarded at the King’s School, Sydney, where his father and ancestors went.
After a year studying engineering, he switched to studying medicine at the University of Sydney.
Upon graduating, he went to England for three years, to study obstetrics, gynaecology, and anaesthetics. There, he met his wife, Susan.
Dr Abbott returned to Australia in 1982. He worked in a practice in Glen Innes for six months, before moving to Scone.
He has remained there for more than 35 years, working for both the medical practice and the hospital.
Dr Abbott has been president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer of the Rural Doctors’ Association NSW, an industrial political body that makes working in the country more viable for rural doctors.
He has also been statewide director of a state government-funded program to train rural generalists: GPs with extended skills in areas such as surgery, mental health, palliative care, and paediatrics.
Dr Abbott currently works part-time for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Broken Hill, while maintaining his active clinical practice in Scone.
“It's similar to general practice anywhere, but you're flying around the clinics, visiting various smaller communities. When I first got out there, I was doing a bit of the retrieval work, but at this point I'm mainly doing general practice. I deal with more Indigenous health out there, and the stoic rural communities.”
The country, Dr Abbott said, “is an excellent place to raise your family, and commit your life to. I enjoy looking after the entirety of people’s lives, from cradle to grave.”