The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) launches an Australian first Emergency response planning tool (ERPT) designed to assist general practices to better prepare for, respond to and recover from the impact of emergencies.
To be officially launched at GP13 in Darwin on 17–19 October, the ERPT has been developed by the RACGP with funding provided by the Department of Health and Ageing.
Dr Liz Marles, RACGP President, said general practitioners (GPs) and practice teams are at the forefront of medical care, providing Australians with access to quality healthcare on a daily basis.
“In the event of an emergency or pandemic, the demand for healthcare services will increase dramatically and it is crucial that general practices are able to continue providing essential services during these times.
“To ensure that practices are able to continue providing these vital services, it is imperative that they have an up-to-date emergency response plan so that they are prepared, well stocked and ready to respond to any emergency.
“It is well known that general practices that are prepared for an emergency are more likely to have effective continuity of care agreements for their patients while ensuring business operations continue to run as smoothly as possible,” said Dr Marles.
A highlight at GP13 will be the ‘Failing to plan for an emergency can cost you more than you think …’ plenary session that will detail first-hand experience in disaster preparation, response and recovery in Australia, New Zealand and abroad by a panel of experts.
The plenary will explore the importance of disaster preparation at both a practice level and system level and introduce attendees to the ERPT which practices can use to develop an individually tailored emergency response plan.
Additionally, the plenary will look at the aftermath of disasters and the mental health impacts of disasters on patients.
Dr Marles said, “During previous emergency responses, GPs and practice teams have consistently worked to provide individuals with the best care possible and we can all draw from these successes and failings.”
The first 700 practices to register for the ERPT at GP13 will receive an 18 month free subscription to the tool, with further opportunities to sign up for a free period following the conference.