Dr Kerryn Phelps AM

Dr Kerryn Phelps has changed the course of Australia’s social and political history, having been a ground breaking politician, public health and civil rights advocate, and media commentator.

In 2018, Dr Phelps became the first woman and Independent to be elected to the seat of Wentworth in the House of Representatives. In 2016, she was elected to the Council of the City of Sydney, becoming Deputy Lord Mayor from 2016 to 2017. Prior to her foray into mainstream politics, Dr Phelps was the first female President of the Australian Medical Association, influencing health policy at State and Federal level. Dr Phelps has also been a powerful voice in the struggle for LGBTQI inclusion and equality.

Dr Kerryn Phelps is in demand as a keynote speaker. She shares evidence based information as well as her expertise and views on topics that range from health and wellbeing, and the politics of health through to human rights, and women in leadership.

More about Dr Kerryn Phelps

Kerryn is a mother of three, a doctor, businesswoman, health communicator, public health and civil rights advocate, author and media commentator.

She founded two successful multidisciplinary medical practices, and her own clinical practice involves finding solutions to complex health problems.

As the first female President of the Australian Medical Association, she was able to influence health policy at State and Federal level. Whilst AMA President, Dr Phelps forged a solution to the looming medical indemnity crisis, enabled changes to medical workforce policy, encouraged the development of the first AMA indigenous health report card and initiated the organisation’s first health policies on the link between climate change and human health, on complementary medicine, and on sexuality and gender diversity.

For 30 years as a pioneer in health media, Dr Phelps has used her communication skills to elevate health literacy and improve the ability of people to act on trusted sources of information in order to live healthier lives. She started working as a medical reporter on morning television soon after graduation. She was the health columnist for the Australian Women’s Weekly for over 25 years and has authored six health books including a textbook of general practice. She was the medical consultant and reporter on ABC television’s EveryBody program. These publications build on mainstream medicine while challenging the health professions and patients to think more expansively about solutions to health problems, a concept known as integrative medicine, literally “integrating” multiple healthcare philosophies.

Dr Phelps has been at the forefront of the struggle for LGBTQI inclusion and equality for two decades. In Australia. She has met with Prime Ministers, government Ministers, politicians and religious and business leaders, police and armed forces to advance the cause of equality, diversity and inclusion. Countless meetings, speeches, rallies, television and radio interviews, opinion pages and social media posts later, marriage equality was finally achieved in December 2017.

Professor Phelps is a patron of ACON’s Pride in Health+Wellbeing program. She is also a Conjoint Professor, NICM Health Research Institute at University of Western Sydney.

Dr Phelps was awarded an Order of Australia for her contributions to Medicine as well as the Centenary Medal. In 2014 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Western Sydney University.

Dr Kerryn Phelps talks about:

• Health and the media
• Health and wellbeing
• Human rights
• Men’s health
• The politics of medicine
• Women in leadership
• Women’s health