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Page last updated 10 December 2025

Catch up on the latest Rural Procedural Grants Program news from our bi-monthly Rural Procedural Grants Program newsletter and more.

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, October 2025

In this issue:  

The latest news

Lodge your claim before end-of-year shutdown

On behalf of the RPGP team we wish all our participants a lovely holiday season with family and friends.

The RACGP end-of-year shutdown is approaching fast. We’ll be out of office from the evening of 23 December and back online 6 January.  To guarantee your payment, your last RPGP claim needs to be lodged by 10 December. The last payment run for December will be 18 December. As we enter 2026, the first payment run will commence 8 January.


Reminder: New RPGP guidelines

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has updated the RPGP guidelines to include a new training model and updated funding amounts. From 1 October, RPGP-funded training now includes hybrid training, consisting of a minimum of three hours of face-to-face training and three hours of related online training delivered in one day.

Just a reminder; if your training is not three hours face-to-face and three hours online for the same activity it is not a hybrid claim.

This new training model is funded at $1500 per eligible day. Hybrid claims fall within the normal face-to-face funding limits and are capped at 10 days for the Procedural grant component, and three days each for Emergency Medicine and Emergency Mental Health – displayed in the table below.

The new program guidelines and a helpful factsheet are available on our website, and on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing RPGP website. Participants are encouraged to reach out us with any questions about the guideline changes.

Training Model Face-to-Face Training Hybrid Training Online Training
Daily Rate $2,000 $1,500 $1,000
Maximum Annual Financial Support – Procedural Stream $20,000
Maximum Annual Financial Support – Emergency Medicine Stream $6,000
Maximum Annual Financial Support – Emergency Mental Health Stream $6,000


Rural voices at GP25 | Early bird closes 27 October  

GP ALS2 (ARC-accredited)

Join this two-day Advanced Life Support Level 2 (ALS2) course to learn emergency medicine skills with rurally contextualised simulations and skills training.

Dates: 20–21 February

Location: Brisbane, QLD

Approved for the Emergency Medicine and Anaesthetic categories of the RPGP

Register

 

RPGP: Did You Know?

If the activity you are claiming is RACGP CPD Approved, you can just add the activity number on the claim form – you don’t need to attach a program for your claim review.

 

Searching for CPD activities

 

We are happy to advise you now can view all online activities that are grant-approved on the RPGP page; all these will be updated monthly so you have the most up to date activities to choose from.

Want to find face-to-face, grant-approved educational activities

Is the RACGP your CPD home? If so, you can follow the steps below to locate and identify a selection of grant-approved activities for the various grant components.

  1. Navigate to the RACGP website and log into your account.
  2. Under the top tab Education, select CPD Home, then Browse Activities.
  3. In the filter pane to the left of the screen, under Activity Criteria, tick the Rural Procedural Grants eligible box. You will then see all activities marked as grant eligible.
  4. When you see an activity you’re interested in, click View Activity – on the left of the page you’ll see Grants eligible, indicating the components it is currently eligible for.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive. We can review any activity that you are interested in completing to maintain or upskill your emergency and procedural skills – just email us through the details of the course and a copy of the program. 

While you’re there, check your 2025 requirements

Have you met your CPD requirements and submitted your 2025 PDP on myCPD home? Reach out to the CPD team on 1800 716 853 or via reply email if you need additional CPD support ahead of the end-of-year rush.

 

Face-to-face activities

Course name

Date/location

Grant approved

CT – Acute Medical and Surgical Interpretation Essentials

23 May, Gold Coast, QLD

20 June, Sydney, NSW

1 Day Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics, Obstetrics or Surgery Grant

Unintended Pregnancy Counselling

11–12 May, Perth, WA

1 Day Obstetrics Grant

Introduction to point of care Ultrasound

This is pre-conference workshop for the WA Rural Health Conference 2026

12 March, Perth, WA

1 Day Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics, Obstetrics or Surgery Grant

Ultrasound – Critical Care Workshop

20 June, Sydney, NSW

1 Day Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics, Obstetrics or Surgery Grant

Introduction to Point of Care Ultrasound for GPs

13 March, Perth, WA

1 Day Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics, Obstetrics or Surgery Grant

BABE – Birthing a Breech Education

17 May, Sydney, NSW

18 Oct, Melbourne, VIC

1 Day Obstetrics Grant

Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop

21 March, online

1 Day Online Grant under Emergency Medicine

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, October 2025

In this issue:  

The latest news

Important update: new Rural Procedural Grants Program guidelines October 2025

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has updated the Rural Procedural Grants Program (RPGP) guidelines to include a new training model and updated funding amounts. From 1 October 2025, RPGP-funded training will include hybrid training.  

Hybrid training consists of a minimum of three hours of face-to-face training and three hours of related online training delivered in one day. This new training model is funded at $1500 per eligible day. Hybrid claims fall within the normal face-to-face funding limits and are capped at 10 days for the Procedural grant component, and three days each for Emergency Medicine and Emergency Mental Health, displayed in the below table.  

The new program guidelines and a helpful factsheet are available on our website, as well as on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing RPGP website since their release.  Participants are encouraged to contact the RACGP with any questions about the guideline changes. 

Training Model Face-to-Face Training Hybrid Training Online Training
Daily Rate $2,000 $1,500 $1,000
Maximum Annual Financial Support - Procedural Stream $20,000
Maximum Annual Financial Support - Emergency Medicine Stream $6,000
Maximum Annual Financial Support - Emergency Mental Health Stream $6,000


RPGP Update on Changes to Eligibility Criteria for course instructor

An important change to program education eligibility impacting course instructors has been introduced.  

From 1 July 2025, eligibility criteria for participants claiming for instructing courses. Going forward, if you are an instructor of an eligible activity, you will be eligible to submit one claim per financial year per course instructed which is a change from the previously unlimited (to maximum claim limit) amount.   

These changes have been endorsed by the joint Procedural Medicine Collaboration (PMC), the collaboration committee of RACGP and ACRRM representatives. We encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions about your eligibility and if you need clarification on how this will impact your participation in the Rural Procedural Grants Program.  

Thank you for your continued participation and we look forward to supporting you coming into the new financial year. 


Rural voices at GP25 | Early bird closes 27 October  

There's only a few weeks left until GP25! Our annual flagship conference is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow rural and remote GPs, as well as those from across Australia. We’re pleased to have a strong representation of rural voices at the conference, including our: 

  • Pre-conference workshop: ‘Empowering women in rural general practice: Leadership, advocacy and mentoring’, which will highlight the vital role of women in shaping rural health. There’s a great range of presenters, panellists and facilitators including Dr Christie Rodda, Dr Kaylene Girgenti, Dr Nicole Higgins, Dr Karen Nicholls, Dr Danielle Allan, Dr Ashe Coxon and Shayne Sutton. 

  • Celebration of rural at the RACGP stand: On Friday 14 November, we’ll be celebrating all things rural. Come along to the stand to connect with the team, discover resources – and stay tuned for special announcements! 

  • Our Rural Council meeting 

  • Our Rural Awards being presented at the National Awards Ceremony, and more. 

Make sure you include the workshop in your GP25 registration. If you’ve already registered for GP25 and would like to add the workshop to your registration, email the team at events@racgp.org.au

Register now for GP25

 

RPGP: Did You Know?

The financial year grant funding allocation is based on the date of completion of your activity. In a situation where an activity starts toward the end of financial year period and finishes in a new financial year, the grant FY allocation will be for the new financial year as per the end date.  

We are happy to advise you now can view all online activities that are grant approved on the RPGP page; all these will be updated monthly so you have the most up to date activities to choose from.  

 

Are you searching for Face-to-Face grant approved educational activities

 

Is the RACGP your CPD home? If so, you can follow the steps below to locate and identify a selection of grant approved activities for the various grant components.   

Firstly, navigate to the RACGP website and log into your account.   

  • Under the top tab Education, select CPD Home, then Browse Activities.   
  • In the filter pane to the left of the screen, under Activity Criteria – tick the box that says Rural Procedural Grants eligible. You will then see all activities marked as grant eligible.   
  • When you see one that has interest for you, click View Activity, then on the left of the page you will see Grants eligible and it will indicate the component/s it is currently eligible for.  

We hope that this may assist with determining course eligibility. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and we can review any activity that you are interested in completing to maintain or upskill your emergency and/or procedural skills. If there is a course you would like us to review, please email us through the details of the course you are looking to attend and a copy of the program.  


Launceston Ultrasound workshop update

Our Launceston Ultrasound workshop was a very successful day with over 23 participants attending. Led by experts in the field, the workshop explored the diverse uses of point-of-care ultrasound in rural primary care settings.


Upcoming courses

Face-to-face courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
The Cutting Edge: Proceduralist Obstetrics and Gynaecological Skills 31 October
Venue: University of Western Australia, Perth
One Day Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics, Obstetrics and Surgery Grant
Advanced Life Support Blended 12 December
Venue: Sydney, NSW
One day Face to Face Emergency Medicine and Anaesthetics Grant
RANZCOG Fetal Surveillance Education Full Programs 30 November
Venue: Victoria
One day Obstetrics Grant

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, May 2025

In this issue:

The latest news

 

End of financial year requirements

As we approach the end of the 2024 – 25 financial year, we'd like to remind all participants of some key dates and criteria to ensure that the team can review and process your claims efficiently:

Claim activity dates* Key dates in 2025
2023 – 2024 19 June - Last date to claim activities
26 June - Last pay run for approved claims
20 June - Closure of 2023-24 activity claiming
2024 – 2025 19 June - Last date of claim submission for inclusion in final pay run for the financial year
26 June - Last pay run for 2024-25
1 July - 2024-25 financial year claims remain claimable
10 July - First pay run of 2025-26 financial year
2025 – 2026 1 July - Claims open for activities completed in the new financial year
10 July- First pay run of 2025-26 financial year

*Date of completion of activity

We would like to highlight that 2023 – 24 financial year claims are unable to be processed from the EOFY submission deadline, so please ensure all supporting documentation and eligibility are met before this date to avoid disappointment. New claims for 2025 – 26 will open in July, covering eligible activities completed from 1 July. 2024 – 25 eligible claims will remain claimable until the end of the new financial year June 2026.  


Royal Procedural Grants Program – Update on changes to eligibility criteria for course instructors

An important change to program education eligibility impacting course instructors has been communicated via email.
 
What’s changed?
 
Previously, instructors of eligible courses could claim an unlimited number of times in a financial year, up to the relevant grant category cap. From 1 July, if you are an instructor of an eligible activity, you will be eligible to submit one claim per financial year per course instructed.
 
These changes have been endorsed by the Procedural Medicine Collaboration (PMC). We encourage you to reach out to our grant team if you have any questions about your eligibility and if you need clarification on how this will impact your participation in the Rural Procedural Grants Program.


Event in reflection: Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshops  

RACGP Busselton Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) workshop, delivered by experienced rural doctors and sonographers was a great success with over 30 GP’s attending for a great full day rotating through the six stations. We hope to see you at one of the next workshops in either Geelong on the 7 June or Townsville on the 12 July 2025, please see registration links below.

workshop workshop


Overseas activity approval

Following the reinstating of overseas held course eligibility, all international activities must be pre-approved before attending. This is to ensure that the activity meets the grant criteria and to avoid disappointment. Please note that even if an activity is by an Australian provider, if the activity itself is held overseas, we still request overseas pre-approval before attendance.
 
Our new overseas activity pre-approval application form makes this a simpler process. To apply, please following the link here and fill out the requested information and attach a copy of the activity program.

We recommend providing the grants team with adequate time to be able to review the activity, however if in a tight timeframe, please reach out to us via email on rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au if you have a deadline for response for travel booking or registration purposes, and we will be happy to provide advice.

 

RPGP: Did You Know?

A reminder to our participants to ensure that your credentials and supporting documents are up to date.

If they are not up to date, please email us at rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au or select the RPGP Additional Information Form in your account (it’s on the far right-hand side) and upload:

  • a credentialing letter stating your unsupervised clinical privileges and scope of practice (including the duration of this credentialing)
  • a letter of employment stating the services you are employed to provide and the duration of the contract
  • evidence of being included on a recent on-call roster for the relevant department.  
 

Upcoming courses

 

Face-to-face courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
The Cutting Edge: Proceduralist Obstetrics and Gynaecological Skills 19 September
Venue: University of Western Australia, Perth
One day Obstetrics and Surgery Grant
Focussed Cardiac Ultrasound 28th – 29th March
Venue: VIC | QLD | TAS | WA | NSW
One day Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics, Obstetrics and Surgery Grant
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop 7 June
Venue: Geelong Vic
One day face to face | Emergency Medicine/ anaesthetics/Surgery/Obstetrics Grant
Cutting Edge: Managing Skin and Soft Tissue Injuries 13 June Emergency Medicine & Surgery Grant | One day face to face
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop 12 July
Venue: Townsville QLD
One day face to face | Emergency Medicine/ anaesthetics/Surgery/Obstetrics Grant
 

Online courses

Course name Date/location Grants approved
Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop 7 June Emergency Medicine Grant | One day online
Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop 23 August Emergency Medicine Grant | One day online
Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop 11 October Emergency Medicine Grant | One day online
Certificate of practical Dermoscopy Online Three days online eligible Surgery Grant
Ultrasound - Critical Care Online Online Two day online | Emergency Medicine/ anaesthetics/Surgery/Obstetrics Grant
CT - Acute Medical and Surgical Interpretation Online Online Three days Grant Emergency Medicine/ Anaesthetics
A GP Framework for Child Mental Health Assessment (5-12 years) Online One day Emergency Medicine Grant
Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention Online One day Grant Emergency Medicine
Online Deadly MHST: Substance Abuse Online Two days Emergency Medicine Grant
Ultrasound - Obstetrics and Gynaecology Online Online One day Obstetrics Grant
 

Submit your nominations for the 2025 RACGP Rural Awards

Nominations for the 2025 RACGP Rural Awards are now open. Held annually, the awards recognize excellence in general practice and outstanding dedication to holistic patient care.  

Our rural GPs, registrars, supervisors, medical educators and practices do brilliant work, and we want to celebrate them. This year, alongside the existing rural awards, we’re excited to announce a new award: Rural Generalist Fellow of the Year.

Do you know someone who fits the bill?  
Submit your nominations today for the following Rural Awards categories:

  • Brian Williams Award
  • Rural Medical Student Bursary
  • Rural Registrar of the Year
  • Rural Community Research Project of the Year
  • Rural Generalist Fellow of the Year

Nominations are open now until 9.00 am AEST, Monday 30 June.

Visit the RACGP website for a full list of categories and criteria, and don’t forget to download a nomination kit, which includes printable and digital materials to encourage your patients and colleagues to nominate.

Award winners will be announced during a ceremony at GP25 in November.

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, March 2025

In this issue:

The latest news

 

Welcome to 2025

Welcome to 2025, and a warm welcome to the first Rural Procedural Grants Program newsletter of the year! We look forward to helping you make the most of the program.  

As we approach the final quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, we'd like to remind all participants to finalise any outstanding claims for 2023-24 activities by mid-June 2025. This will ensure timely processing and payment before the financial year closure. 

More detailed information on end of financial year dates and cut-offs will be included in the next newsletter delivered in May 2025. In the meantime, we look forward to receiving your claims for your ongoing skills maintenance and upskilling training. 

 

Procedural Medicine Collaboration meeting

To ensure effective administration of the Rural Procedural Grants Program, the RACGP and ACRRM have established the Procedural Medicine Collaboration (PMC) forum. This forum enables joint discussions on key aspects of the program, including eligibility, accreditation, appeals, and program review. 

In February 2025, the PMC met alongside RACGP and ACRRM grant administration teams, RACGP Rural representatives, and Department of Health and Aged Care representatives in Sydney, NSW.  This was a great opportunity to discuss some topical program items and future direction of the grants program. Please watch this space and your inboxes, any changes to program guidelines will be communicated primarily by email. If you have updated your email or other contact details recently, please don't’ forget to let us know.  

If becoming a PMC RACGP representative for either Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics, Anaesthetics or Surgery is something that interests you, please respond to any expression of interest (EOI) call outs which will occur when a position is vacant. Feel free to contact the team if you would like some more information.  

 

Searching for grant approved educational activities  

Is the RACGP your CPD home? If so, you can follow the steps below to locate and identify a selection of grant approved activities for the various grant components.  

Firstly, navigate to the RACGP website and log into your account.  

  • Under the top tab Education, select CPD Home, then Browse Activities.  
  • In the filter pane to the left of the screen, under Activity Criteria – tick the box that says Rural Procedural Grants eligible. You will then see all activities marked as grant eligible.  
  • When you see one that has interest for you, click View Activity, then on the left of the page you will see Grants eligible and it will indicate the component/s it is currently eligible for. 

We hope that this may assist with determining course eligibility. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and we can review any activity that you are interested in completing to maintain or upskill your emergency and/or procedural skills. If there is a course you would like us to review, please email us through the details of the course you are looking to attend and a copy of the program. 

 

Overseas activity approval

Following the reinstating of overseas held course eligibility, we want to remind all participants that all international activities must be pre-approved before they are attended. This is to ensure that the activity meets the grant criteria and to avoid disappointment. Please note that even if an activity is by an Australian provider, if the activity itself is held overseas, we still request overseas pre-approval before attendance.  

Our new overseas activity pre-approval application form makes applying for pre-approval a simpler process. To apply, please follow the link and fill out the requested information and attach a copy of the activity program. 

We recommend providing the grants team with adequate time to be able to review the activity, however if it’s in a tight timeframe, please reach out to us via email. If you have a deadline, waiting on a response for a travel booking or registration we will provide advice. 

 

2025 RWAV Conference

The 2025 RWAV Conference in Bendigo this February was a resounding success! We were thrilled to connect with over 250 attendees, including GPs, interns, and medical students. The RACGP team was out in full force, and it was a fantastic two days of engaging conversations and networking. The RACGP team will have a strong presence at rural conferences across Australia throughout the year. We look forward to seeing you there!

RPGP: Did You Know?

You can access documents related to the grants program such as the updated supervised clinical attachment form and the program guidelines by navigating to the bottom of our webpage under ‘Related documents’ Upcoming courses 

 

Upcoming courses

 

Face-to-face courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop April 5th Busselton WA 1 Day face to face
Billings Ovulation Method: Teacher Training Course 28th - 29th March 2025 Obstetric Grant | 2 Days Face to Face
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop May 3rd Newcastle NSW 1 Day face to face
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop June 7th Geelong Vic 1 Day face to face
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop July 12th Townsville QLD 1 Day face to face
Cutting Edge: Managing Skin and Soft Tissue Injuries 13th June 2025 Emergency Medicine & Surgery Grant | 1 Day Face to Face
 

Online courses

Course name Date/location Grants approved
Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop April 12th Emergency Medicine Grant | 1 Day Online
Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop June 7th Emergency Medicine Grant | 1 Day Online
Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop August 23rd Emergency Medicine Grant | 1 Day Online
Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop October 11th Emergency Medicine Grant | 1 Day Online
Billins Ovulation Method teacher Training Correspondence Course Email: jennykelly@thebillingsovulationmethod.org January 2025 – December 2025 Grants eligible | Obstetric Grant

  

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, December 2024

In this issue:

The latest news

 

2024 end of year closure

We would like to wish all our participants a lovely safe holiday break.

The RACGP will be closed from 24 December 2024 and will re-open on 2 January 2025.

The deadline to submit any new claims is close of business on 17 December 2024. The last payment run for claims is 19 December 2024 and the first payment run will be 9 January 2025.

 

New team member

We would like to introduce our newest team member Juanessa. We are excited to have her onboard with us, and we all look forward to looking after all our RPGP participants.

 

Emergency mental health grant  

Are you currently enrolled in the emergency medicine grant and deliver emergency mental health care? You may be eligible for the emergency mental health grant.
 
The grant covers up to three days of training to a maximum of $6,000 per GP within a financial year for emergency mental health up-skilling and skills maintenance. That’s $2,000 a day for face-to-face training. You will also be able to claim for a limited number of emergency mental health continuous professional development (CPD) activities delivered online, at a rate of $1,000 per day, within the before mentioned maximum annual limit.
 
If you are dealing with the acute/emergency phase of a mental health episode in the emergency department and would like to apply for this grant, then all you need to do is to send a letter to us. Please submit a letter from your hospital stating that you are responsible for providing care in respect of emergency mental health services/crisis intervention in patients presenting with acute mental health issues to the emergency department. We will then update our records and advise you of the outcome.

If you have any questions about the RPGP, or your eligibility, we’re here to help. You can email the team or give us a call on 1800 636 764.  

 

Update your details

To all RPGP participants please ensure that you update your details if anything has changed. This includes:

  • Employment details
  • Bank details
  • Email address
  • Phone numbers

With all our Locum Doctors could you please send in your 2024-2025 locum dates on an official letter as soon as possible, so there are no delays in processing Locum’s claims.

 

Rural Generalist Recognition update

The Joint Application of the RACGP and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) to the MBA is in its final stage. We hope to have an outcome by December.  

The findings will draw on their review of the joint application submissions, and the outcomes of their national consultation, conducted over 16 October through to 12 December 2023, and their subsequent stakeholder meetings.
 
The review panel met with the RG Recognition Taskforce in July to discuss the consultation findings as well a number of other stakeholder organisations that were considered to require follow up or more detailed discussions.
 
The AMC Review Panel’s final report will be endorsed through AMC governance. The AMC will provide the report and its advice on the application to the MBA that will in turn make recommendation to the joint health ministers.
 
The Taskforce has held positive meetings with senior representatives of most states and Territories to discuss the implications and opportunities for their respective industrial and clinical frameworks.
 
Should the health ministers recognise the new specialist field, this will be incorporated into the national law and included on the national register of specialties. Doctors with an approved Fellowship qualification in Rural Generalist Medicine will be able to apply for specialist registration in the new field.

RACGP is also continuing to work with ACRRM and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) on a project to identify MBS item numbers for Rural Generalist doctors to utilise pending the outcome of the application.

RPGP: Did You Know?

Did you know that the ID number asked for in your claim form is NOT your bank account details or your RACGP membership number, it is a unique grants program ID number provided to you when you joined the program or when our system moved over to the online grants portal in 2020.

 

Upcoming courses

 

Face-to-face courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
Advancing In Maternity Safety 24th February 2025 Obstetric & Emergency – Medicine Grant 3 days face to face
Billings Ovulation Method: Teacher Training Course 28th – 29th March 2025 Obstetric Grant – 2 Days face to face
Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Course (POCUS) – 2025 24 February 2025 One day – emergency Medicine grant
Introductory Ultrasound for Emergency Medicine 2nd – 5th December 2024 Emergency medicine Grant – 3 days face to face
Unintended Pregnancy Counselling Training 11–12 March 2025 10–11 June 2025 – 12–13 August 2025 Obstetric Grant – 2 days face to face
Cutting Edge: Managing Skin and Soft Tissue Injuries 13th June 2025 Emergency Medicine & Surgery Grant – 1 Day face to face
Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Course 2nd December 2024 – 24th February 2025 Anaesthetic Grant – Emergency Medicine Grant– Obstetric Grant – Surgery Grant
 

Online courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
Ultrasound - Critical Care Online Until Tue, 31 Dec 2024 One day online – emergency Medicine grant
X-Ray – Chest and Emergency Interpretation Essentials Online Available until Tuesday 31st December 2024 Three day online – Emergency Medicine Grant
Ultrasound - Obstetrics and Gynaecology Online Available until Tue, 31 Dec 2024 One day online – Emergency Medicine and Obstetric Grant
Online Emergency medicine for rural GPs workshops 22 February 2025 – 12 April 2025 – 7th June 2025 – 16th August 2025 Emergency Medicine Grant – One day

  

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, August 2024

In this issue:

The latest news

Overseas activity pre-approval

 

Following the re-introduction of overseas activities with updated eligibility criteria, we’ve created a pre-approval form to make the process of applying for your overseas activities smoother.
 
To apply, please follow the steps below:
 
Step One: Visit the RPGP website.
 
Step Two: Complete the web form and attach supporting documents.

Step Three: Click submit.
 
Our dedicated grants team will review your application and advise whether the proposed activity is eligible for  a grant under this program. For more information regarding the updated eligibility criteria, please refer to the updated Rural Procedural Grants Program guidelines available on the RACGP website.

 

Event highlight: Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound

 

John represented the RACGP Rural team in Warrnambool for the Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop on 24 August.
 
These full-day workshops help to increase your understanding of the applications of point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnostic process. You receive expert guidance on the diverse applications of point-of-care ultrasound in rural primary care as well as being introduced to basic techniques using advanced, high-end mobile ultrasound equipment.
 
Each workshop is capped at 30 participants to allow for increased hands-on experience. Participants rotate through six ultrasound skills stations:

  • eFast
  • deep venous thrombosis
  • heart and lung ultrasound
  • intravenous line placement and foreign object retrieval
  • musculoskeletal soft tissue
  • first trimester transabdominal obstetric ultrasound.

The course is approved for a one-day, face-to-face grant in emergency medicine, anaesthetics, surgery or obstetrics.

Upcoming courses:
 
Introduction to Point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshop
21 September 2024 Port Augusta, SA

Introduction to Point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshop
26 October 2024 Cairns, QLD

 

Upgrades to RPGP claiming portal

 

We’re working on upgrading the grant portal to improve your user experience. When you log in you might start to notice some changes, including the replacement of the ‘Tab’ key requirement with a confirmation tick box to pass the Security Check point of the claim or additional information form.


This change will allow you to proceed on mobiles or other devices that do not have a Tab key. We hope this makes the claiming process more seamless for you.

If you have any feedback on how we can continue to improve the grant portal, please email us at rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au

 

RPGP: Did You Know? – How do RPGP locum dates work?

Locums must complete 28 days before submitting a claim. We require you to submit evidence of completion on a formal letterhead, including dates and locations, before we can process a claim for you.

Training can occur at any time during the relevant financial year, including prior to the completion of the period of locum work.

Upcoming courses

 

Face-to-face courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
Introduction to Point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshop 21 September 2024
Port Augusta SA
One day – Emergency Medicine grant
Introduction to Point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshop 26 October 2024
Cairns QLD
One day – Emergency Medicine grant
Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Course (POCUS) – 2025 Broad Beach Waters QLD One day – Emergency Medicine grant
Advancing in Maternity Safety 26-27 October 2024
Sydney
16-17 November 2024
Melbourne
Plus dates for 2025 on their website.
 
FPAA National Certificate in Reproductive & Sexual Health for Doctors Supervised Clinical Attachment 28 October 2024
Box Hill, VIC
 
Complex Skin Cancer Surgery Practical Workshop 22 September 2024
Sydney
13 October 2024
Melbourne
 
Dermatological Surgery and Procedures Workshop – 2 days 12 October 2024
Melbourne
 
Basic Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Course – 5 days (PG, AAA/DVT, eFAST, FELS, LUNG, EP) 18 November 2024 | 23 November 2024
Queensland
 

Online courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
Ultrasound – Critical Care Online Until 31 December 2024 1-day online – emergency medicine grant
Certificate of Practical Dermoscopy Melbourne 2025 10 February – 4 May (Workshop in Melbourne 12 April) 1-day online – surgery grant
X-Ray – Chest and Emergency Interpretation Essentials Online Available until 31 December 2024 3-day online – emergency medicine grant

  

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, July 2024

In this issue:

The latest news

RPGP Program update

Welcome to a new financial year in the program, 2024–2025. At the end of every financial year, we’re faced with a huge number of adjudications and claims. We appreciate your patience as we work through them.

The Department of Health and Aged Care has updated the guidelines for the rural procedural grants program. Changes in the 2024 edition include online claiming arrangements, criteria for overseas face-to-face training and updates to program management and administrative items. The new guidelines can be found on the RACGP website.

As we begin the new year, we’d also like to remind you of the following:

  • Claims can only be made for the current and previous financial year. Claims from the 2022–2023 financial will no longer be processed from 1 July.  
  • Grant allocations have been reset as of 1 July.
  • Locums must provide evidence of 28 days of work before claiming in the new financial year.
  • For clinical attachments, a Supervised Clinical Attachment form must be completed for each activity undertaken.

You can refer to the online claims guide on the website to guide you through the process of lodging your claims.

Please ensure that your details including your address, contact details and employment information are current to avoid any delays in processing your claims.

As always, the RPGP team is here to help. If you have any questions, please visit the website,
https://www.racgp.org.au/the-racgp/faculties/rural/rural-procedural-grants or email us at rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au or call us on 1800 636 764.

Best regards,

Amy and John

RACGP RPGP Team

 

International activities update 2024

 

From 1 July, CPD training activities may be undertaken overseas in a face-to-face format.

These overseas activities must meet the following criteria:
 

  • Training must be pre-approved by either the RACGP or ACRRM.
  • Education must not be readily available in Australia or must be difficult to attend due to long waiting lists or distance constraints.
  • You must submit an attendance certificate.
  • You must provide confirmation and evidence of the number of days and hours of training attended.
  • You must confirm attendance at interactive sessions (i.e. highlighted program or other documented evidence).
  • You must provide evidence that the attended activity benefits procedural and/or emergency medicine skills maintenance and/or upskilling in the rural Australian medical context.

Read the 2024 guidelines

 

A guide to claiming online education

 

Online activities will continue to be eligible until 31 December 2024.

Participants are encouraged to contact RACGP prior to registering for training to confirm whether the proposed activity is eligible to receive a grant under this program. 

Online claims guide

Online course completion hours

Number of claimable days

Less than four hours

None

Over four hours but less than eight hours

One e.g. $1000

Over eight hours but less than 12 hours

Two

Over 12 hours but less than 16 hours

Three (cap for emergency medicine)

Over 16 hours but less than 20 hours

Four

 

Types of claims

 

Eligible training programs must be for upskilling and skills maintenance.

Skills maintenance

Complying with RACGP requirements to maintain your clinical privileging rights

Upskilling

Improving or extending your current skill level or learning a new skill relevant to the enrolled emergency or procedural component, based on current Australian accredited procedural curriculum and guidelines

 

Engage with the RPGP team

 

John and Amy from the Rural Procedural Grants team have been travelling to rural health events around the country to raise awareness of the RPGP and meet participants. Most recently, Amy attended the ACEM RRR Emergency Medicine conference in Darwin on Monday and Tuesday, 8-9 July 2024. If you see us at an event, please come over and say hello, and have a chat to us about the program.

Our next event that will be the National Rural Health Alliance conference in Perth from 16-18 September 2024.

 

RPGP: Did You Know? – How do RPGP grant allocations work?

Grant allocations start on the 1st of July each year, aligned with the financial year. Claims are processed according to the date of training and are deducted from the grant allocation for that financial year. Unused grant allocations do not roll over to the next financial year.

You can submit claims for the current financial year and the previous financial year but not for any prior years. Claims for the previous financial year must be submitted two weeks before the end of the financial year to be approved. Claims for the current financial claims can be submit at any time

Upcoming courses

 

Face-to-face courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
Introduction to Point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshop 20 July 2024
Darwin NT
One day – Emergency Medicine grant
Introduction to Point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshop 24 August 2024
Warrnambool VIC
One day – Emergency Medicine grant
Introduction to Point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshop 21 September 2024
Port Augusta SA
One day – Emergency Medicine grant
Introduction to Point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshop 26 October 2024
Cairns QLD
One day – Emergency Medicine grant

Online courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
Online Emergency medicine for rural GPs workshops
Register Now
Saturday 10 August 2024 Grant approved.
1 day Emergency Medicine Online
Online Emergency medicine for rural GPs workshops
Register Now
Saturday 12 October 2024 Grant approved.
1 day Emergency Medicine Online
Online Fetal Surveillance Education Program (OFSEP) On demand Grant approved.
1 day Obstetrics Online
Responding to the Deteriorating Patient On demand Grant approved.
2 days Emergency Medicine Online
RESP - High Risk Emergencies On demand Grant approved.
3 days Emergency Medicine Online
ABCDs of the Critically Ill Child On demand Grant approved.
1 days Emergency Medicine Online

  




Contact RACGP Rural

racgp.org.au/rural |  1800 636 764 |   rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au 

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