I would like to start out by congratulating the four recipients of the 2024 RACGP Rural Awards, which honour achievement in rural general practice:

• Brian Williams Award − Dr Tim Mooney, Tasmania
• Rural GP in Training of the Year − Dr Jian Ong, Western Australia
• Rural Medical Student Bursary Award − Mr Harrison Hamblin, New South Wales
• Community Project of the Year Award − Dr Ben Bambery, Northern Territory.

 
Thank you for going above and beyond to care for your patients and your dedication to your rural and remote communities.

I would also like to congratulate two of our RACGP Rural Council members on their outstanding achievements as finalists of the Stronger Medicare Awards. Their success demonstrates the strength and caliber of the GPs we have within our Rural Council, all of whom continue to advocate for our wider rural workforce. Dr John Buckley and Dr Geetha Venkatram have both been valuable members of the RACGP Rural Council and I am glad to see all their hard work is being acknowledged.
 
Geetha has been recognised for her work within the Broadford community and her dedication towards the training of International Medical Graduates. John has been recognised for his forty plus years as a GP as well as his work towards developing culturally sensitive training for health practitioners. Both have done fantastic work over their careers and I look forward to continuing to work with them.

In a media cycle full of closures and threats to rural practice there are still stories of success where all of the right supports from federal, state and local agencies means that general practices can thrive. I have my own story, I was lucky enough to partner with a community and some other general practitioners to open a new practice in Charters Towers in the last month. It is important we continue to advocate for individual and tailored rural solutions that must involve more than Medicare rebates and expectations placed on a workforce that is burning out. The practice has been welcomed into the community with open arms and we are looking forward to a new medical imaging provider opening up next to us soon. This will bring CT scanning back to Charters Towers so it is a big win for all!

RACGP Rural led a submission into the inquiry surrounding the implementation of Portfolio Committee No.2 recommendations relating to cross-jurisdictional health reform and government consultations with remote, rural and regional communities in NSW. Through this we were able to focus specifically on providing feedback on key issues surrounding recruitment, retention and training for our rural workforce. Ensuring that the general practice workforce is skilled and supported is one of the main objectives here at RACGP and being involved in feedback such as this is one of the ways we continue to advocate for our profession.
 
To wrap up a busy month we also had a resoundingly successful time in Perth at GP24. To all our RACGP Annual Award winners I want to extend a warm congratulations, it is great to see so many outstanding GPs going above and beyond for our profession. The Rural Council also took the opportunity to conduct our annual Face-to-Face council meeting whilst all co-located in the same location, something that does not happen very often!


A/Prof Michael Clements
Chair, RACGP Rural

Reminder to Rural Generalists and primary care doctors with advanced skills to apply for the Workforce Incentives Program (WIP) - Rural Advanced Skills

Did you know that you can apply for the WIP-Rural Advanced Skills payment up to three times between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025?

Doctors providing primary care and emergency and/or advanced skills in Modified Monash (MM) 3-7 locations can claim up to $21,000 each year.

If you are a doctor that received a WIP-Rural Advanced Skill payment for services provided in 2023, you can apply again for a second payment for services provided in 2024. You apply as soon as you have completed the service levels required for the maximum payment.
For more information regarding your eligibility, please refer to the WIP- Rural Advanced Skills Guidelines on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.

For information regarding Australian Government funded incentives and supports that are available to doctors practicing in MM3-7 locations, please refer to the relevant Fact Sheets on Incentives and support for GPs and general practices in Modified Monash locations 1-7.

Doctors for Women in Rural Medicine: Update

As we wrap up 2024, the Doctors for Women in Rural Medicine (DWRM) Committee took a moment to reflect on our accomplishments and experiences over the past year during our final meeting.

In February, we kicked off the year with a reflective writing session with Dr Hilton Koppe, followed by a session featuring four female GP practice owners in May. Our final online member meet-up of the year was led by our very own Committee member Dr Dinara Martkhabullina who spoke about the challenges faced by female IMGs in general practice. If you missed these events, recordings are available on our website for you to catch up.

In March, we proudly participated in College celebrations for International Women’s Day, celebrating the achievements and progress of women everywhere, while championing equal opportunities for women to learn and earn.

In September we led a multidisciplinary collaboration at the National Rural Health Alliance conference in Perth, facilitating a workshop highlighting female-specific rural health workforce issues and opportunities. We look forward to continuing our advocacy on this front with our colleagues from the Rural Doctors Association of Australia’s Female Doctor’s Group, the Australian Primary Care Nurses Association, Allied Health Professions of Australia and La Trobe Rural Health School.

And we were back in Perth in November where it was lovely to finish off our year by catching up in person for an informal meet up at the GP24 Welcome Reception!

Throughout the year, your insights have significantly shaped discussions we have within the Rural Faculty and the College, as well as informed our advocacy efforts beyond the RACGP.  We are eager to continue this momentum in 2025, starting in the New Year with our next member meet-up. 

Your feedback is essential to help us understand what supports women to thrive in rural general practice and help shape our activities.  We invite you to join the conversation and share your rural experiences with us. For more information, visit the DWRM website, email us at rural@racgp.org.au, or connect with us through our Facebook group.

Rural Generalist Anaesthesia training program – Grandparenting deadline

Applications for grandparenting for award of the Advanced Certificate in Rural Generalist Anaesthesia close on 31 December 2024. The grandparenting process is aimed at the current practicing rural GP anaesthesia workforce. Its purpose is to allow this workforce to easily transition to the new qualification.
 
Applicants who completed JCCA training in 2021, 2022 or 2023 or who have not yet completed all requirements for fellowship, have until 31 December 2025 to apply.
 
For more information about how to apply, please visit the ANZCA website.

Point of Care Testing Survey is now open

As part of the RACGP Advocacy Plan 2024-25, the RACGP is advocating for more Point of Care Testing (PoCT) MBs items and increased funding to improve access to testing in rural and remote areas.
 
To support this work the RACGP is surveying rural and remote GPs to understand their attitudes towards PoCT, where PoCT can be the most impactful and what are the barriers and enablers around PoCT. Your feedback will directly shape the direction of the RACGP’s PoCT advocacy and will be instrumental in guiding the next steps of the RACGP’s advocacy efforts.
 
The survey comprises eight, short, multiple-choice questions and provides an option for those interested in being part of future work to develop the RACGP’s PoCT advocacy. The survey will close on Thursday 19 December.
 
The PoCT survey can be accessed here.

Boost your skills with the Rural Procedural Grants Program

Did you know you may be eligible for the Rural Procedural Grants Program (RPGP) if you provide unsupervised procedural and/or emergency medicine services in rural and remote areas classified as MMM3-7? This Department of Health funding enables access to relevant educational activities designed to maintain or enhance procedural and emergency medicine skills.   

2024 End of Year closure

 The RPGP team would like to wish all our participants a lovely safe holiday break.  
 
The RACGP will be closed from the 24th of December 2024 and will re-open on 2nd January 2025.

All claims processing closes off COB on the Tuesday 17th December 2024 at 4pm. The last payment run for claims in the system for 2024 is Thursday19thDecember 2024. The first payment run in 2025 will be Thursday 9 January 2025. 
 
If you have any questions about the RPGP, or your eligibility, we’re here to help. The dedicated RPGP team can support you throughout the application or claims process and assist with any queries. Please visit our website, email the team or give us a call on 1800 636 764 for more information. 

Heat and Health: Summer preparedness in general practice webinar

Date – 10th December 2024
Time – 7:30pm – 8:30pm (DST)
1EA CPD hour
 
RACGP NSW&ACT Faculty invites you to join them at this webinar which aims to refresh GPs on heat-related health impacts. The session will address the identification of high-risk groups for heat related illness, upskill on the physiological impacts of heat, and provide effective methods to reduce heat-related illness.
 
Register here

New CPD solution – Optimising your billing strategy

The RACGP has released a new CPD solution ‘Optimising your billing strategy’. The CPD solution is a package of self- directed education developed for your continuous professional development.
 
Through the activities, members will find new billing solutions and strategies to effectively implement a new billing model to improve the financial and business viability of your practice. From assessment of your current billing practices to research, analysis, testing and communication, activities within this CPD solution will provide you with practical tools to navigate the transition smoothly.
 
The package offers GPs and GP practice owners evidence-informed Education Activities (EA), Reviewing Performance (RP) and Monitoring Outcomes (MO) options for your CPD.
 
You can find more information on the solution and activities here.

Save the date: RACGP Queensland 64th Clinical Update Conference

Dr Cath Hester, Chair RACGP Queensland, and Dr Aaron Chambers, Chair RACGP Queensland Education Committee, are delighted to announce the date for the 64^th Clinical Update Conference in 2025.
 
Clinical Update is a unique Queensland Faculty event. This unique, GP-led conference will be held on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 February 2025 at the Gold Coast.
 
Please save the date in your calendar now, this will be a wonderful education and collegial weekend.
 
Further details on the conference website and early-bird registration will be live in December.

RACGP meet-up: NSW Rural GPs Conference

Friday 29 November, from 5.30pm – 7.00pm
Location: Cibaria, Manly (located within the Manly Pacific Hotel) - 55 North Steyne Road
 
More details:
 
RACGP is attending the 2024 Rural GPs Conference hosted by the Rural Doctors Network and the Rural Doctors' Association of NSW from 28 November to 1 December at the Manly Pacific Hotel in Sydney.
 
You’re invited to join us for drinks and nibbles while catching up with your rural colleagues face-to-face during the conference. It’s a great opportunity to engage with local Council members and team that represents you.
 
Come along to connect, catch up and share the issues affecting you. We’d love to meet you!
 
Please RSVP to rural@racgp.org.au if you’re planning to come along so we can cater to any dietary requirements.

Date: Thursday 5 December
Time: 7.00pm AEST
Location: Online
 
This instalment of the Rural Health Webinar Series will explore ways to upskill your practice team (doctors and nurses) on how to manage common emergency presentations. The webinar will discuss the importance of a well-stock resuscitation trolley, identify algorithms and discuss how to facilitate regular resuscitation scenarios for your practice team.

1. Learning outcomes
2. Discuss the importance of a well-stocked resuscitation trolley.
3. Identify resources and guidelines, such as laminated algorithms used to manage common emergencies.
4. Briefly discuss how to facilitate regular resuscitation scenarios with your team.