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Jolyon Attwooll

20 Apr 2023
News

‘Welcome morale boost’ as funding for GP grants program opens

Jolyon Attwooll

20/04/2023 12:37:47 PM

The $220 million election commitment announced last year is aimed at boosting standards and patient access.

GP in front of computer screen
The funding will be available for three areas, including digital health, infection prevention and maintaining accreditation standards.

General practices can expect a letter inviting them to take part in the GP Grants Program, which will distribute $220 million ‘to expand patient access and improve services’.
 
The funding formed a central part of the Labor Government’s election healthcare commitments, along with $750 million set aside to strengthen Medicare.
 
Announced by Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler on Thursday 20 April, the letters will be sent to practices ‘over the coming weeks’ by Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).
 
The grants are available for training, equipment and minor capital works for one or more of the following three areas:

  • enhancing digital health capability
  • upgrading infection prevention and control arrangements
  • maintaining or achieving accreditation against the RACGP Standards for General Practice, under the General Practice Accreditation Scheme.
One-off grants of $25,000, $35,000 or $50,000 are available according to the size and accreditation status of the general practice or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO).

According to Federal Budget papers published last October, most of the funding will be distributed by the end of this financial year, with $26.1 million expected to go out in 2023/24.

 RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said the funding will be appreciated by GPs.
 
‘This will provide a welcome morale boost … [that] I’m sure many hardworking practice teams will take full advantage of,’ she said.
 
‘We know that GPs and practice teams are needed by their communities more than ever before, and many practices are bursting at the seams.
 
‘We have had an exhausting few years … and I appreciate Minister Butler saying that after working tirelessly during the pandemic GPs deserve more than thanks.
 
‘He is spot on, and these grants will go a long way to expanding services in communities where patient demand is outstripping supply.’
 
Dr Higgins said the funding support is ‘not just about bricks and mortar’, with practices able to utilise the grants for a range of different purposes depending on their needs.
 
‘The grants will allow practices to invest in minor capital works and purchase new equipment but also enhance their digital capabilities, upgrade infection prevention and control and maintain or achieve accreditation,’ she said.
 
‘Getting practice infrastructure right is so important, because practices take on such a wide range of functions and responsibilities, particularly in rural and remote areas where access to other healthcare services can be few and far between.
 
‘Half of practice owners are concerned about long-term practice viability, so programs like this are not only useful but recognise the major issues general practice has been facing.
 
‘This is a positive step forward and I will keep working constructively with the Government hand-in-glove to secure the future of general practice.’
 
The largest grants will be available for the biggest general practices, while those that are not accredited according to RACGP standards are eligible for a $25,000 grant.
 
Each general practice and ACCHO will be advised of the grant applicable to them.
 
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoH) fact sheet, the program opens on 21 April and will be administered by the PHNs and NACCHO.
 
Minister Butler said GPs deserve more resources ‘after working tirelessly’ during the pandemic.
 
‘The $220 million investment will give a much-needed boost to general practices across the country,’ he said.

‘We understand the crucial importance of primary healthcare provided by GPs.
 
‘This funding will help improve practices and make sure Australians can access safe, quality and affordable healthcare when and where they need it.’
 
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General practice GP Grants program

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Dr Conor Calder   21/04/2023 7:24:46 AM

I disagree. It’s not a morale boost for the majority of GPs. Practice owners (including a lot of corporate owned clinics) will benefit. The vast majority of GPs won’t see a cent…

Dr Tom Owen Morley   21/04/2023 10:05:45 AM

I’m honestly not really sure what these miniscule grants are anticipated to achieve beyond the presentation of a false narrative of positive action (i.e. political point-scoring). By category:

1) Connected healthcare suffers from a number of issues, however the most glaring is that the current community softwares (that pay a beautiful homage to the masterpiece that was Windows 95) lack the basic functionality and user experience that is essential for any conceptualisation of efficient digital workflows in 2023, with no commercial/competitive or government pressure for any meaningful change in this space. Additionally, interoperability for data sharing between community systems, hospital systems and DHAC systems is an unsalvageable mess. On the bright side, $25k will buy you a VERY nice fax machine.

2) The timing of funding upgrades to infection control is surely a bad joke…? Taking into account the current cost of infrastructure works (and yes, I am pointing fingers directly at the Victorian State Government), $25k probably won’t get you far past a 50 minute meeting with your architect. Lucky the Victorian Quarantine Hub experience has prevented us from taking a too-little, too-late approach to flushing more tax dollars down the drain.

3) Practice accreditation in itself is a worthwhile progress to ensure quality standards, but let’s think for 2 seconds. Practices who have never been accredited will now be able to spend a large proportion of their grant getting accredited so they can firstly reaccredit every 3 years for another small fortune, and secondly gain access the DHAC PIP programs (e.g. the beloved eHealth incentive). The former will result in increased ongoing running costs for these GP clinics, whilst the latter will result in increased DHAC expenditure on ineffectual and overly complicated band-aid funding streams.

We don’t just need more clinicians in policy, we need more accountability for intelligent decision making!

A.Prof Christopher David Hogan   21/04/2023 10:21:49 AM

As always, the devil lies in the details

Dr Philip Ian Dawson   21/04/2023 12:58:20 PM

Christopher, really? A $25,000 FAX Machine? Is it Gold plated? No for that price it must be solid gold! $25k or $50k gets you some decent new hardware or software, In Tasmania the Health Department is finally taking ereferrals as well as sending eletters back, so are more specialist so its nearly time to throw out the fax machine not upgrade it! I think our worst problem with electronic communications is now the proliferation of different forms from both the state health departments, who do not provide proper templates, and particularly centrelink and aged care, who keep changing their forms and insist on that form only. Aged care referrals must now be done online, not on a template in our clinical software, so (1) it does not auto fill, and (2) it is now the doctors responsibility not the practice typist. Ditto for new referrals to the public hospital. We Doctors did not study medicine to be typists and data entry persons! Money wont solve thse problems.

Dr Khalaf Adib Haddadin   21/04/2023 9:06:32 PM

This is just the Federal government giving more funding to state governments and at the same time appear to be helping General practice because guess what !
State revenue office id going to come for all these monies and more with the payroll tax fiasco.
This is no grant this is just another scam.