Rural Update - March 2020

Rural and remote COVID-19 response

The RACGP is conscious that you are working very hard to respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19 in our rural and remote communities.

We are acutely aware that the situation in rural and remote areas is different to metro towns of Australia.

The RACGP is committed to supporting and providing up-to-date information for members.

Please continue to stay up to date with the evolving advice from all levels of government via the RACGP’s Coronavirus web page.

The RACGP is also sending regular email bulletins to update you on the latest developments in relation to COVID-19.  RACGP Rural will include rural and remote information on the website and in the bulletin as it comes to hand.

We will also continue to advocate for rural communities to access the resources they need to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The RACGP CEO, General Manager of Education and I met with the Hon Mark Coulton MP, Minister for Regional Health, Communications and Local Government on Tuesday to address the existing and emerging issues affecting rural and remote GPs, including:

• The response to the COVID-19 crisis and the effect on the rural and remote workforce
• Expansion of telehealth item numbers
• Availability and lack of PPE
• Retrieval services and the availability of ventilators
• Respiratory clinics
• Support for GPs to do advance directive planning and provide rural and remote palliative care services.

I am confident that there is a strong response being formulated by the Minister and Government and that they are using a consultative and flexible approach with key stakeholders such as the RACGP, allowing us to share our questions, concerns, and ideas and being responsive to include these ideas in their thinking and the strategies they’re implementing.

Share your stories to inspire action

We recognise that each state and territory is responding differently and what works for one practice may not work for another.

However, I encourage you to share your stories on what you are doing in your community. This may inspire local solutions and help to raise awareness of important issues.

RACGP Rural has launched a new Facebook group for rural GPs to connect and collaborate. Join the Facebook group to share your story.

RACGP Rural will collate this information to inform our advocacy efforts and share with rural and remote members.

It is crucial that rural and remote Australians support each other, and their local health services, during this time.

Please take time to care for yourselves and your practice staff and take the opportunity to debrief with colleagues.

More flexibility for AGPT Rural Generalist Training

I am very happy to advise that the RACGP has secured a change to the Australian General Practice Rural Generalist (AGPT RG) policy that will give registrars more flexibility to choose the right training pathway.

This change means that registrars can now opt into (and opt out of) the AGPT RG policy without the risk of losing their AGPT training place.

This is about making it easier for future GPs to choose the right training pathway for their circumstances and aspirations and I am glad that RACGP is playing a part.

We want to hear from you

If you have any further questions or feedback, please email rural@racgp.org.au

Assoc Professor Ayman Shenouda
Chair, RACGP Rural
Vice President, RACGP

Event	Date	Location
Cognitive behavioural therapy skills for general practice	At your own pace	Online, gplearning
Recognition and treatment of anaphylaxis	Thursday 2 April, 8.00–9.00 pm AEDT	Webinar
Online Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training	Monday 13 April – Friday 17 July	Online
Exploring whole person care at end of life	Thursday 7 May, 7.30–8.30 pm AEDT	Webinar
Online focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training	Monday 22 June – Friday 25 September	Online

RACGP Rural has launched a new Facebook group. It is a space for rural GPs to connect, share ideas and collaborate.

RACGP Rural members, please join the Facebook group and start a conversation with your peers.

Join the Facebook group.

The RACGP is developing a Rural Generalist Fellowship (FRACGP-RG). The Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FARGP) is being updated to align with a national Rural Generalist Medicine training pathway and will be replaced by a four-year standalone Rural Generalist Fellowship (FRACGP-RG) offering robust, modern curricula. Key developments will start to be incorporated into the FARGP from January 2021. Immediate improvements will include working to further develop GP registrar skills training in emergency care.

The strengthening of the FARGP will assist in a smooth and simple transition process to FRACGP-RG in due course, pending formal Australian Medical Council (AMC) accreditation.

The RACGP is part of a joint application to the AMC and the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) seeking formal recognition of Rural Generalist Medicine as a specialised field within the speciality of general practice.

Once formal recognition of Rural Generalist Medicine is provided, we will seek accreditation for our Rural Generalist Fellowship, FRACGP-RG.

Visit the RACGP website for more information and subscribe to recieve updates.

Acquire mental health skills without leaving your practice with our Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS ST) package to become a GP provider of FPS and provide cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-derived FPS counselling services to your patients.

This online, flexible course comprises 21 hours of online learning, practical use of skills and active group discussion, all accessible via the RACGP’s gplearning platform.

Level 1 Mental Health Skills Training (MHST) is a prerequisite for enrolment. On completion, you can gain FPS provider registration with Medicare to access FPS related Medicare Benefits Schedule numbers 2721, 2723, 2725 and 2727.

2020 intakes:

Intake 2	13 April – 17 July	Register now
Intake 3	22 June – 25 September	Register now
Intake 4	31 August – 4 December	Register now

More information and registration.

The RACGP has secured a change to the Australian General Practice Rural Generalist (AGPT RG) policy that will give registrars more flexibility to choose the right training pathway.

This change means GPs in training can now opt into (and opt out of) the AGPT RG policy without the risk of losing their AGPT training place.

They are no longer locked into whichever choice they made at the beginning of the AGPT journey and can choose what is right for them.

Flexibility during training

If registrars choose the RG policy and their circumstances change, they can opt out of training as an RG but continue to train towards Fellowship of the RACGP (FRACGP).

However, they will need to remain on the rural pathway and continue to work in an MMM 2–7 location.

Similarly, if they decided against the RG policy they will now have the chance to opt in.

GPs in training might make this decision because they decide to undertake some Advanced Rural Skills Training (ARST) in light of the need for these skills in the community in which they are training, or because they have chosen to move to a remote or rural area that supports, and benefits from, training in RG.

They may opt into being classified as an RG from any other pathway (general or rural).

More information on this change is available on the RACGP and Government websites.

Our rural health webinar series presents free monthly webinars on important health issues for rural and remote GPs. Each session will be held on the first Thursday of the month and focus on supporting rural and remote GPs with relevant information and resources.

Webinars are free of charge for all participants and recordings will be available at the conclusion of each webinar.

This webinar series is delivered with support from Ochre Health. Register for an upcoming webinar below.

Upcoming webinars

Recognition and treatment of anaphylaxis	Thursday 2 April, 8.00–9.00 pm AEDT	Online webinar
Exploring whole person care at end of life	Thursday 7 May, 7.30–8.30 pm AEDT	Online webinar

 
Past webinars

You can access past webinars in the Rural Health Library. Catch up on past webinars on demand at a time that works for you.

The RACGP keeps the health and safety of its staff, GP members and our partners at the absolute forefront of all planning. As such, workshops and events are subject to cancellation or postponement pending public health advice regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.