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Paul Hayes

11 Oct 2018
News

Major funding boost for general practice training

Paul Hayes

11/10/2018 2:20:56 PM

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced a $29.5 million injection into the RACGP’s new Practice Experience Program.

Minister Hunt has announced major funding will be injected into the Practice Experience Program.
Minister Hunt has announced major funding will be injected into the Practice Experience Program.

‘This new funding will provide new opportunities to medical professionals in Australia, particularly those who want to develop their skills and become GPs in areas outside of our major cities,’ RACGP President Dr Harry Nespolon told newsGP.
 
The Practice Experience Program (PEP) is a self-directed education program designed to support non- vocationally registered (non-VR) doctors on their pathway to RACGP Fellowship. The program will commence in January 2019, delivered in partnership with Regional Training Organisations.
 
‘We announced last year that the RACGP would regain control of training process, the general practice training program, and that is under way,’ Minister Hunt said at this morning’s GP18 welcome session.
 
‘I am delighted to announce that, as part of that, the Government will allocate [$29.5 million] to the non-VR GPs Fellowship training program – PEP.’
 
Dr Nespolon welcomed the funding as a step to ensuring Australians receive the best possible care, regardless of their postcode.
 
‘It’s great to see some positive steps be taken by the Australian Government to make sure accessibility is not a barrier for patients,’ he said.

non-vr doctors PEP Practice Experience Program vocationally registered

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Christine   12/10/2018 6:24:33 AM

Thanks Greg, but where is the REAL funding for existing general practice? Nobody gives more bang for the health care buck than a primary care physician. For a quick political buck parties of both stripes want to pump more in the swamp of public hospitals, and ignore real and substantial additional funding into general practice!

Yee Pyone   12/10/2018 8:07:28 AM

Exciting to hear the good news that Non-VR GPs in remote areas can have better support for training program to pursue the fellowship and ongoing CPD activities. Great incentives to attract more GPs working in the regional. What a Win-win situation!

Magdy Shamaly   12/10/2018 10:34:20 AM

Are inner regional areas such as R2 (or MMM3 under Monash Modified Model) covered under this program or will they be disadvantaged being non-DWS areas? An important question that needs to be answered?

newsGP   12/10/2018 11:35:32 AM

Thanks for your query, Magdy
Yes, inner-regional areas such as R2 (MMM3 under Monash Modified Model) are covered under this program. There are no area restrictions under the PEP.

Ross   13/10/2018 8:23:56 AM

Will it be available for non-VR doctors working as Career Medical Officers in public and private hospitals? Would it apply to PGY3 or later doctors who have missed out on a GPET spot?

Wayne   13/10/2018 8:44:19 AM

Another political small amount of funding, it will be essentially a waste of money. We need to spend 100 times that value in rural GP/hospital Senior Doctors to see a reversal of the rural crisis of Medical staffing and only then will the rural community health start to claw back the massive disparity that exists and is shameful in a first world country. Rural people deserve equal share of health expenditure, if not more, as their exists a higher burden of chronic health issues. Let’s start being serious about funding.

Dr Tariq Mahmood from Lismore NSW   13/10/2018 11:38:29 AM

What about the GP partners , who are waiting to gain entry in to the system having fullfil all the requirements for registration with AHPRA but they cannot move to the other bigger area because of their partners are serving in the remote areas. Pls do something for them as well.

DD   13/10/2018 2:08:19 PM

Hi
I do not understand why not allowing the PEP participants to sit the exam(s) while in the program. My understanding is that it is designed to achieve the fellowship

newsGP   15/10/2018 3:12:58 PM

Thank you for your query, Ross. You can visit the PEP website – www.racgp.org.au/Practice-Experience-Program – to find out all relevant eligibility criteria. Thank you.

Dr Ahmed Hussain   24/10/2018 11:06:27 AM

Still the poor non VR GP's has to pay for exam, for the course, --- They are the "SCAPE GOAT" exploited and used by every one, the clinics, the employers, even the RACGP, the patients, the health department ------!

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