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COVID recognition: RACGP allocates extra 25 CPD points
The move comes as part of new CPD support from the college to acknowledge members for their work throughout the pandemic.
The 25 points were added to all CPD accounts on 11 November.
Pandemic response, PPE supplies, expansion of telehealth, government relations, respiratory clinics, vaccine rollout and advice, anti-vaxx movements, abusive patients, compliance letters, self-care.
The list goes on for GPs’ involvement at the healthcare forefront since the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world.
In addition to maintaining their day-to-day roles of providing care, many have adjusted to, and adopted, new ways of providing care.
To recognise the tireless efforts GPs have made and to support them in their continuing professional development (CPD), the RACGP Board has agreed to allocate an additional 25 CPD points to all GPs participating in the CPD Program.
The points, equivalent to 12.5 hours of non-accredited educational activities, are designed to reflect the rapid and ongoing education that has been required of GPs since the beginning of the pandemic.
‘Healthcare professionals have well and truly been at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. And GPs are no exception,’ RACGP President Dr Karen Price told newsGP.
‘The unprecedented challenges borne from the COVID era have fuelled the ongoing need for GPs to update their knowledge and skills to support their community, and continue their role as public health ambassadors.
‘On behalf of the RACGP Board, I am pleased to announce the allocation of the additional CPD points to further support our members in the tireless work you’ve undertaken throughout the year.’
The extra CPD points are in addition to anything GPs have already uploaded for COVID-19-related activities.
To date, this brings COVID-19-related education awarded by the RACGP to 50 CPD points, equivalent to 25 hours. The points were added to all CPD accounts on Thursday, 11 November.
A new COVID-19 self-directed CPD accredited activity worth 40 points has also been developed to support GPs who are having difficult gaining access to CPD Accredited Activities (formerly Category 1).
The new activity also recognises the extensive professional development and quality improvement undertaken by many GPs as a requirement of their pandemic response and changed practices, and is relevant to a number of GPs, particularly those with limited time to take on other CPD activities.
The activity can be accessed on the myCPD dashboard and allows GPs to reflect on what they have learnt and easily record it in the dashboard.
Further support is available via an upcoming webinar on 29 November.
The 30-minute session is facilitated by the state-based CPD Program coordinators and will show GPs how to upload accredited CPD activities live on the myCPD dashboard. The webinar will also look at the new COVID-19 CPD-accredited activity form more specifically.
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