If you want a clinic that runs smoother, grows faster, and feels easier to lead, the real breakthroughs aren’t in medicine. They’re in the metrics, mindsets, and leadership moves you make outside the consult room.

 In this episode, GP and Practice Owner Dr Andrew Palfreman joins Todd to unpack the unexpected overlap between coaching under-14 AFL kids and running a high-functioning General Practice – and why the “fierce cauldron of self-development” is the best preparation you never knew you needed.

Andrew shares the story behind the now-legendary RPI and why simple, behaviour-driven metrics outperform complex dashboards. He opens up about taking over a long-standing practice earlier than expected, stabilising a team after turbulent ownership changes, and how he rebuilt trust, culture, and momentum from the inside out.

You’ll also hear how Andrew navigated ownership as a new fellow, led calmly through the uncertainty of COVID, built a proactive model of care, and now prepares his clinic for its next major growth phase, both operationally and structurally.

If you’re a GP or Practice Owner looking for grounded, real-world lessons from someone who’s lived every part of the journey – clinical, managerial, cultural, financial – this conversation is a goldmine. 

You’ll walk away with insights you can apply immediately, whether you’re stabilising, growing, or scaling your clinic for the future.

In this episode of the Scale My Clinic Podcast, you’ll learn:

• Why coaching-style thinking makes you a stronger Practice Owner (00:22)
• How to create lead/lag indicators that drive real behaviour change, keep your team aligned, and remove ambiguity without overwhelming people with dashboards (01:26)
• The first high-impact decisions new owners must make to stabilise the team, protect the business, and set the clinic up for long-term growth (10:21)
• What strong crisis leadership really requires and how to guide your team with confidence in uncertain moments (23:04)
• How planned care, health assessments, and rebooking systems create sustainable scale (28:49)
• How strategic room planning, telehealth flow, and property decisions that enable growth (36:02)

QUOTES

“Business is a really important professional and self-development tool. Ultimately, you find out what your weaknesses are and what you need to work on as an owner.” – Dr Todd Cameron

“People want certainty, and if they’re not getting it, they’ll go somewhere else.” – Dr Todd Cameron

“It’s great for the nurse, great for the GP, great for the clinic, and great for the patient — that triple-whammy is what you want in a well-run practice.” – Dr Todd Cameron

“Once people understand the value of rebooking, and once the team repeats it consistently, it becomes a well-oiled machine that just ticks over by itself.” – Dr Andrew Palfreman

Missed the previous Episode?

Listen to Episode 80 here: From GP to Owner in 18 Months: The Young Doctor Carrying a Family Legacy Forward