JCU to step away from GP training delivery

James Cook University (JCU) has announced it will stop delivering GP training, with the RACGP set to assume responsibility for the program within the region.
 
The North West Queensland institution revealed its plans to transition on Monday, due to uncertainty over ongoing funding arrangements, which were only guaranteed until June this year.
 
While the exact timing and specific details of the transition are not yet available, the RACGP said the transition would cause minimal disruption and that it is ready to ‘welcome and unite’ GP training in Queensland.
 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins thanked JCU for its stewardship of the program, and said registrars, supervisors, and practice managers engaged in GP training remain the college’s priority.
 
‘This will be a seamless transition for our registrars and supervisors and there will be minimal disruption to training,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘RACGP over the last 12 months has successfully integrated several training organisations together and have all the systems and processes in place.
 
‘We’ve been through change before in training providers and what will be different this time is that the JCU system is already integrated.’
 
Dr Higgins said she wants to reassure registrars, high-quality training will remain available on the ground before, during, and after the handover.
 
‘They will still have their supervisors, training practices, dedicated medical educators, and training management system, so very little will change,’ she said.
 
‘Now our registrars and supervisors have the opportunity to have the same experience as everybody else within Australia.
 
‘We want to make sure that our GPs can get best training that they can and I’m excited that this will take GP training in North West Queensland to another level.’
 
JCU has been delivering the training since 2016, with more than 900 GP graduates fellowed in northern Queensland since its involvement began in 2016.
 
In February last year, the university signed a training agreement with the RACGP, saying it was ‘pleased to be continuing as a training delivery entity officially from today under the college-led training model’.
 
It came as GP training returned to the RACGP, in what was labelled a ‘historic day’ for the profession.
 
Since then, eight training organisations have transitioned back to the RACGP, providing confidence to the college that it can seamlessly transition delivery in North-West Queensland.
 
The initial move back to the RACGP appears to have been well-received by registrars, with a recent Medical Training Survey (MTS) revealing that for GP registrars undertaking training with the college, 84% would recommend their current training position to others or would recommend their workplace as a place to train.
 
Almost 90% also rated the quality of their clinical supervision, their training to raise patient safety concerns, and their teaching sessions as good or excellent.
 
‘I’m looking forward to bringing North West Queensland into alignment with the rest of the country to deliver a nationally consistent, regionally supported and locally delivered GP training program,’ Dr Higgins said.
 
Practices and registrars in North West Queensland are already using RACGP systems, with the college saying the transition will enable the RACGP to optimise training program opportunities within the state.
 
Last month, JCU announced 102 new GP registrars would be starting their specialty training across Queensland this year.
 
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