For Australia to excel in data‑driven health research and innovation, we need strong public trust and coordinated, responsible governance of health and medical data. Last week’s GP Data for Research stakeholder design roundtable, marking the culmination of the five‑year GP Data Project, advanced this national conversation on how GP data can be ethically, legally and securely used for research and system improvement.

A diverse group of community members, GPs, health consumers, researchers, policymakers, data linkage experts and sector partners met in Sydney to address a critical gap in Australia’s health information landscape: access to general practice (GP) data for research. With more than 80% of Australians visiting their GP each year, general practice holds the most comprehensive picture of the nation’s health — yet this information remains underused outside clinical care.

Discussions focused on consent, public engagement, governance and oversight, and how to balance two essential public interests: maintaining trust in general practice while enabling research that benefits the community.

Thank you to all participants for your thoughtful contributions, and to our project partners — the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Digital Health CRC, the University of Wollongong, Macquarie University, the Population Health Research Network and Health Consumers NSW — for their leadership and commitment.