16 December 2016


Inside Out: insights from RACGP CEO Dr Zena Burgess

Inside Out is an exclusive new series of videos and messages from RACGP chief executive officer Dr Zena Burgess.

Using shareGP, Zena will be interviewing a range of GPs and other experts on various aspects of general practice, as well as sharing her insights and reflections on the inner workings, work in progress, strategy matters and other areas of interest in the RACGP.

Log into shareGP and search ‘Zena Burgess’ to read Zena’s first post, watch the Inside Out launch video, and connect with Zena directly.

This week’s post addresses recent commentary from the medical media regarding the providers’ QI&CPD fee changes and the profitability of the RACGP.


Redesign of the Practice Incentives Program

The RACGP’s response to the to the Department of Health’s (DoH’s) Redesign of the Practice Incentives Programconsultation paper is now available on the RACGP website.

The DoH consultation paper, released on 24 October, outlined the broad proposal to redesign seven of the 11 current incentives and introduce a new quality improvement incentive.

The RACGP submission takes a high-level view of the proposed changes to the Practice Incentives Program (PIP), identifying a number of key concerns raised by members during the consultation period.

The RACGP submission comments on:

  • the removal of $21.2 million from PIP funding
  • the proposal to:
    • remove all Service Incentive Payments (SIPs)
    • remove incentives aimed at improving outcomes for disadvantaged patient groups (eg Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, rural and aged care patients)
    • implement a system based on the automated extraction of data from practice systems
  • alternative models for rewarding quality improvement.

Thank you to all members who provided valuable feedback during the consultation.


January deadline for Practice Incentives Program eHealth Incentive requirements

The Practice Incentives Program eHealth Incentive (ePIP) shared health summary upload (SHS) requirements must be achieved by 31 January 2017.

Under the temporary amendment to the ePIP, general practices have been able to achieve their SHS upload requirements over a period of nine months, rather than as three separate quarterly targets.

This extension provided time to resolve any transitional issues and allowed practices that opted out of the first quarter an opportunity to meet the requirement and claim the incentive.

Practices are encouraged to take advantage of this one-off amendment to ensure they don’t lose the ePIP payments.

Practices that will not meet all of the requirements should withdraw from the ePIP entirely. This will ensure practices are not overpaid and are not faced with having to repay up to three quarterly payments.

For further information visit the RACGP website.


Is your practice prepared for an emergency?

As the festive season approaches, so too does Australia’s hottest time of the year. With this comes increased risk of bushfires and extreme weather events. 

A current response plan is essential to ensuring your practice is prepared to respond to emergencies. A number of RACGP resources are available to support general practices prepare for, respond to and recover from the impacts of fires and other emergencies.

Managing emergencies and pandemics in general practice: A guide for preparation, response and recovery provides an overview of the planning process and outlines a range of activities that can be undertaken to help protect the infrastructure and contents of your practice during the summer season.

The RACGP bushfire information web page has also been updated with key information and recommended actions to reduce risk in the event of a bushfire. 

The RACGP’s Emergency Response Planning Tool (ERPT) is a subscription-based tool that enables general practices to create a tailored emergency response plan. Call 1800 008 384 or email help@healthpointanz.org.au for further information about the ERPT.


RACGP 2017 Clinical Emergency Management Program – Registrations now open

Increase your knowledge, skills and confidence in managing life-threatening emergencies with the RACGP Clinical Emergency Management Program (CEMP).

The one-day intermediate CEMP workshop (40 Category 1 QI&CPD points) includes CPR practice and assessment, as well as basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS). The two-day advanced workshop (80 Category 1 QI&CPD points) will enhance your adult trauma and paediatric emergency skills.

Participants may be eligible for Rural Procedural Grants Program training grants of $2000 a day.

Registrations are now open on the RACGP website. Don’t miss this opportunity to obtain QI&CPD points for the new triennium.

Visit the RACGP website or contact the relevant state faculty for further information. 


QI&CPD 2017-19 triennium frequently asked questions

A series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the QI&CPD 2017–19 triennium is now available on the myCPD section of the RACGP website.

The 2017–19 triennium focuses on facilitating GPs to use reflective learning to identify opportunities to enhance their daily practice by making changes that will improve patient safety and care.

Visit the RACGP website to read the FAQs.

Log into shareGP to see what your colleagues are saying about the new triennium.


RACGP Christmas shut down details

The RACGP’s Melbourne office, as well as all state and territory faculties, will be closed for the Christmas and New Year period from close of business Friday 23 December, re-opening on Monday 9 January 2017. We wish all of our members, colleagues, and patients and their families a safe and happy festive period.

In Practice poll – Use of secure electronic communications

Patients are required to interact with multiple healthcare professionals or organisations in different physical locations. In order to provide high-quality healthcare, there must be efficient communication between GPs and other healthcare providers involved in a patient’s care. Secure electronic communication is currently one of the more efficient methods available.

We invited GPs to respond to our poll and provide feedback on their reasons for using two-way secure electronic forms and the challenges they face in using electronic communication.

Our survey indicates that nearly all respondents (94%) are concerned about completing forms for corporate and government agencies. More than half of respondents (56%) said they were concerned about difficulties understanding forms, not being able to complete them electronically or save them in their practice management system, and the time required to complete them. Respondents also believe forms are changed too frequently, contain too many questions and are not compatible with practice management systems. Suggested solutions included simplifying and standardising forms, and the use of templates.

When asked what prevents them from using electronic forms, respondents identified the time required (25%), complexity (22%), security concerns (20%), and expense (13%). Members stated they would like to see electronic forms simplified and auto-populate regularly-used information.

The RACGP thanks all poll respondents. The results and feedback will be used to ensure the RACGP is best placed to represent the views of the profession.


Media enquiries

Journalists and media outlets seeking comment and information from the RACGP should contact:

John Ronan

Senior Media Advisor