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Page last updated 11 December 2024

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, 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

  

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, March 2024

In this issue:

The latest news

RPGP Program update

The Department of Health’s decision to continue of the eligibility of online training under all RPGP categories has been supported by the RACGP continuing until 31 December 2024.

The reinstatement of overseas claims is coming.

The training criteria is being negotiated and the Rural Faculty submitted recommendations to the revised criteria and the department advised, the updated program guidelines and eligibly will be distributed to the Colleges in the next month. Please stay tuned.

RPGP Team Member profile

My name is John Sugden

Just a little about my time at the RACGP.

I have been with the RACGP for six years. I commenced in the Member Services centre where I spent three and half years on the front line taking Membership calls.

I then moved into the Administration Support Role for the Queensland Faculty, and am now in my current role in the Rural Facility in the Rural Procedural Grants Program as an Education Officer where we review assess and process your claims under the Procedural Grant Program.

Updated News – Workforce Incentive Program - Rural Advanced Skills Stream

Application are now open and forms for the WIP Rural Advanced Skills incentive Program are now available on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.

Doctors will need to complete separate forms when applying for:
Stream 1: Emergency Medicine and;
Stream 2: Advanced Skills Payments. Payments are backdated till 1 January 2023.

If you are working in a rural/remote community in First Nations Health and do not hold an RG recognised Fellowship, then you are still eligible to apply for Stream 2. There is a list of specific approved locations for "GP only" and RG candidates to apply for this payment in the documentation (note: you may be eligible for RG recognition through our RPLE process).

If you require any assistance completing the application form, please contact the Rural Workforce Agency in the state and territory in which you are providing most services. Contacts for each state can be found on here.

RPGP: Did You Know? – Payment Timelines

When claims are approved, your claim payments are normally paid within a 14-day turnaround.

Upcoming courses

Face-to-face courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
Emergency Medicine for Rural GPs workshop
Register Now
13 July 2024
Lismore NSW
One day Emergency Medicine grant
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshop Multiple 2024 dates One day – emergency Medicine grant
APLS Advanced Paediatric Life Support Various dates available Australia wide 2024 Grant Approved
The Cutting Edge: Introductory Wound Suturing 10 May 2024
Western Australia
Grant Approved
The Cutting Edge: Emergency Procedures 23 & 24 May 2024
Western Australia
Grant Approved
The Cutting Edge: Managing Skin and Soft Tissue Injuries 14 June 2024
Western Australia
Grant Approved

Online courses

Course name Date/location Grant approved
Online Emergency medicine for rural GPs workshops 6 April, 1 June, 10 August, 12 October 2024 Component(s) One day Online Emergency grant

  

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, October 2023 

In this issue:

The latest news

Claim resubmission guide

There are times when we may require more information to be supplied to support your claim. This might include updated credentialling or employment documents, a program for the activity or other supporting documents. In this situation, you will be sent an email notification and your claim will be sent back to your ‘MY TASKS’ list, awaiting the requested information. Once this information has been collected, you can then resubmit your claim back to us for final processing. 

To resubmit, please log in to the grant’s portal, go to your ‘MY TASKS’ list and then find the relevant claim number. Open the claim, attach the certificate or other relevant documents, and then submit. Your form is saved as a draft, so you do not need to fill out the form again. 
If you need any assistance with claim submission or resubmission, please contact our team at rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au

Online claims

In the 2020-21 financial year the Department issued a temporary arrangement for Online Claims for the Rural Procedural Grants Program to provide additional flexibility and support to rural procedural GPs so that they can continue to access subsidised CPD activities.

We would like to remind all participants that these temporary arrangements are currently available until 31 December 2023. If we receive any information about the extension or change to these arrangements, we will communicate them to participants as soon as possible.

Limits are as follows
Component 1 – Procedural GPs Practising in Surgery, Anaesthetics and/or Obstetrics

CPD activities delivered online will be eligible between July 2020 and 31 December 2023 at $1,000 per day, for a maximum of 10 days

Component 2 – GPs Practising Emergency Medicine

CPD activities delivered online will be eligible between July 2020 and 31 December 2023 at $1,000 per day, for a maximum of 3 days

Emergency Mental Health Services

CPD activities delivered online will be eligible between July 2020 and 31 December 2023 at $1,000 per day, for a maximum of 3 days

RPGP Grant limits

Emergency
  • $2,000 per day for up to 3 days of face-to-face training per financial year.
  • $1,000 per day for up to 3 days of online training until 31 December 2023.
  • A grant of $2,000 per day for an additional 3 days per financial year for emergency mental health training. Online training in emergency mental health will be eligible for a $1,000 per day for up to 3 days per financial year.

Online activities claimed count toward the total $6,000 cap each financial year. 

Procedural

Grant

  • $2,000 per day for up to 10 days of face-to-face training per financial year.
  • $1,000 per day for up to 10 days of online training until 31 December 2023.

Online activities claimed count toward the total $20,000 cap each financial year. 
Currently, online claiming arrangements are due to end 31 December 2023.

Online portal FAQs

Here is a compiled list of the most common questions we receive about the online portal.

Q: The form asks me for my account number. Is this my RACGP number?

A: No, your RPGP account number is not the same as your RACGP number. You were sent an email when you joined the program that contains your RPGP account number. The temporary answer to your security question might be your surname with the first letter capitalised, unless you enrolled in the program after we launched the online portal, in which case you would have set this up yourself.

Q: I registered to access the online portal a while ago and now I want to apply for a grant. Where do I find the log-in page?

A: Visit the RPGP website. Scroll down and click on the ‘Make a claim’ button, which will take you to the log in page. We recommend you bookmark this link in your internet browser or add it to your favourite pages so you can easily find it next time.

Q: How do I update my details?

A: Email your new details to us at rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au

Q: Can I put all my claims on the same form?

A: No, you need to complete one form for each claim linked to one component of the program.

Q: I’ve sent in several claims and one was rejected. How do I know which one it was?

A: The rejection notice will have a task number on it. You’ll be able to see your completed claims under ‘My tasks’ in the online portal and that will show you what has been approved.

Claiming for clinical attachments

When submitting a claim for your clinical attachment, please make sure that you’ve filled out the supervised clinical attachment form and have added the following in a separate word document:

Your clearly stated learning objectives, educational exposure and learning outcomes. 

Learning objective 

A general statement about what you want to learn throughout the attachment. 

Learning outcomes 
A specific statement describing exactly what measurable skills and abilities you have developed. 
As an alternative to the Supervised clinical attachment form, please attach a letter from the attachment supervisor(s) which includes content, dates and hours worked, along with your learning objectives and learning outcomes.
All claims are to be submitted through our RPGP grants portal.

RPGP Did you know?

RACGP Rural Procedural Grants Team

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

Face-to-face courses

Course Date/location Grant approved
Ultrasound critical care workshop 28 - 29 October 2023 | Noosa, Queensland Component(s): One day Emergency grant
Emergency airway and crisis skills management 20 October 2023 | Port Hedland  One day Emergency Medicine grant
Advanced training in suicide prevention Multiple 2023 dates One day – emergency mental health
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop for GPs 25 October 2023 | Sydney, New South Wales One day Emergency grant
Emergency medicine for rural GPs 25 October 2023 | Melbourne, Victoria One day Emergency grant
CT Acute Medical and Surgical Interpretation Essential 28 October 2023 | Noosa, Queensland
  One day Emergency Medicine grant
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop for GPs 22 November 2023 | Coogee, New South Wales One day of funding under the Emergency Medicine
NSW RDN - Rural GP’s Conference (pre-conference workshop) 23 - 26 November | Coogee, New South Wales One day of funding under the Emergency Medicine
APLS Advanced paediatric Life Support Multiple 2024 dates | Austalia-wide  
 

Online courses

Course Date/location Grant approved
ABCDs of the critically Ill patient 2023 Online, self-paced, LearnEM One day – emergency 
Advanced Cardiac life Support Online, self-paced, LearnEM Two day – emergency medicine
Paediatric trauma Online, self-paced, armchair One day – emergency medicine
ABCDs of Acute Behavioural Emergencies Online, self-paced One day – emergency mental Health
Online Fetal Surveillance Education Program (OFSEP) Online, self-paced One day – emergency medicine
The Fundamentals of Safe Vacuum Delivery Online, self-paced One day – Obstetrics
Responding to the deteriorating patient Online, self-paced Two days – anaesthetics
Trauma radiology Online, self-paced, Radiopaedia Two days – emergency medicine

This program is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health.

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, August 2023 

In this issue:

The latest news

New financial year update

We’re off to the start of a new financial year and we’d like to remind you of the claim eligibility criteria for the Rural Procedural Grants Program (RPGP). Funding has now been reset for the new financial year and you can access that funding for eligible education completed from 1 July 2023. 

You can submit claims via Make a Claim for current and previous financial years only. Starting from 1 July 2023, we’re no longer accepting claims for the 2021–22 financial year. However, if the eligibility criteria was met at the time, you’ll still be able to submit claims for the 2022–23 financial year until mid-June 2024. 

Please ensure you include all relevant documents when claiming so that your claims can be reviewed and processed promptly.

Our dedicated team will be working diligently to expedite the processing of your claims, and we sincerely appreciate your patience.

Help spread the word about RPGP

Do you work with anyone who may be eligible for RPGP? Some rural GPs may not be aware of the program, even though they have been eligible for many years. If you believe that any of your colleagues meet the program’s eligibility criteria, we would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about this fantastic opportunity. With RPGP funding they can:

  • Maintain and update current skill levels
  • Ensure they have the skills to provide high-quality services to the community
  • Partially subsidise the costs of attending approved activities.

Visit the RACGP website for more information.

You can also reach our team at rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au or 1800 636 764.

Grant limits

RPGP helps cover the cost of professional development for GPs who provide procedural and/or emergency medicine services in unsupervised settings in rural and remote areas. Here are the grant limits for the respective categories:
 
Emergency

  • $2,000 per day for up to three days of face-to-face training per financial year.
  • $1,000 per day for up to three days of online training until 31 December 2023.
  • A grant of $2,000 per day for an additional three days per financial year for emergency mental health training. Online training in emergency mental health will be eligible for a $1,000 per day for up to three days per financial year.

Online activities claimed count toward the total $6,000 cap each financial year. 

Procedural

  • $2,000 per day for up to 10 days of face-to-face training per financial year.
  • $1,000 per day for up to 10 days of online training until 31 December 2023.

Online activities claimed count toward the total $20,000 cap each financial year. 
Currently, online claiming arrangements are due to end 31 December 2023.

Event in the spotlight

WONCA 2023
 
Date: 26–29 October 2023
Venue: ICC Sydney
Cost: Members Standard $1402. Non Members Standard $1720

 

Build your skills at the WONCA 2023 pre-conference workshops 
 
Need to build your skills in the use of ultrasound? Do you want to upgrade your skills in identifying skin legions?
 
These are just some of the topics being covered in WONCA 2023’s pre-conference workshops. These interactive and CPD-accredited workshops are aimed at building practical skills for GPs. 
 
Explore the program and register now by visiting www.wonca2023.com.au 

Please note: A Rural Procedural Grant may be available for attendance of a number of sessions of the WONCA program with more information to come

Register now

Claiming in the 2023–24 financial year

Locum participants

The current locum policy states that we cannot approve a locum’s grant claim until after they have completed your 28 days of locum work for the financial year. If you’re a locum, you’ll be entitled to the grant as long as you’re registered for the program. You’ll need to provide evidence of having completed the 28 days before your claim can be approved. 

To maintain eligibility as a locum participant in 2023–24, please send the following documents to rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au

  • A credentialing letter stating your unsupervised clinical privileges and scope of practice also the duration of this credentialing from one of the hospitals you attend. This isn’t required if your credentials on file are still current.
  • A letter of employment stating the dates and locations of your placements and the services you’ve provided for the 2023–24 financial year. The services you provided must also indicate if you were on an on-call roster. 

Claiming for clinical attachments

When submitting a claim for your clinical attachment, please make sure that you’ve filled out the supervised clinical attachment form

You also need to provide a summary of the learning objectives and outcomes Clearly state your learning objectives, educational exposure and learning outcomes in a separate word document.  

Please see the following as a guide: 

Learning objective 
A general statement about what you want to learn throughout the attachment. 

Learning outcomes 
A specific statement describing exactly what measurable skills and abilities you’ve developed.  

As an alternative to the supervised clinical attachment form, please attach a letter from the attachment supervisor which includes dates and hours worked. 

Submit your claims through our RPGP grants portal.

Did you know?

Claiming for online activities extended to 31 December 2023

The Department of Health has extended its RPGP temporary online claiming arrangements to support GPs in claiming online education activities until 31 December 2023

Face-to-face courses

Course Date/location Grant approved
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop for GPs 25 August 2023 | Adelaide, South Australia One day all RPGP categories grant
Emergency trauma management course Multiple 2023 dates in VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, WA Three days – emergency medicine, anaesthetics, surgery
Advanced training in suicide prevention Multiple 2023 dates One day – emergency mental health
Obstetric emergencies 18 August 2023 | Esperance, Western Australia One day obstetrics grant
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop for GPs 23 September 2023 | Townsville, Queensland One day all RPGP categories.
Zedu Introductory for emergency medicine 4 – 7 September 2023 | Melbourne, Victoria Four-day grant in Emergency
Zedu Core obstetric ultrasound 14 – 15 September 2023 | Melbourne, Victoria Two-day grant in Obstetrics
Zedu Emergency ultrasound for rural and remote medicine 25–27 September 2023 | Melbourne, Victoria Three day grant in Emergency, Obstetrics
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop for GPs 22 November 2023 | Coogee, NSW One day Emergency Medicine
 

Online courses

Course Date/location Grant approved
Emergency mental health: Assessing suicide risk, AOD the acute response, safely dealing with ‘difficult’ behaviour Online, self-paced One day – emergency mental health
RESP: High-risk emergencies Online, self-paced One day – emergency medicine
Emergency mental health Online, self-paced One day – emergency mental health
Online foetal surveillance education program Online, self-paced One day – obstetrics
Professional certificate of skin cancer surgery principle Online, self-paced Nine days – surgery
Paediatric trauma Online, self-paced One day – emergency medicine
Responding to the deteriorating patient Online, self-paced Two days – emergency medicine, anaesthetics
GP clinical enhancement module: Youth mental health Online, self-paced One day – emergency mental health
Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop Saturday 7 October 2023 One day of funding under the Emergency Medicine.

This program is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health.

Rural Procedural Grants Newsletter, July 2023 

In this issue:

The latest news

New financial year update

We’re off to the start of a new financial year and we’d like to remind you of the claim eligibility criteria for the Rural Procedural Grants Program (RPGP). Funding has now been reset for the new financial year and you can access that funding for eligible education completed from 1 July 2023. 

You can submit claims via Make a Claim for current and previous financial years only. Starting from 1 July 2023, we’re no longer accepting claims for the 2021–22 financial year. However, if the eligibility criteria was met at the time, you’ll still be able to submit claims for the 2022–23 financial year until mid-June 2024. 

Please ensure you include all relevant documents when claiming so that your claims can be reviewed and processed promptly.

Our dedicated team will be working diligently to expedite the processing of your claims, and we sincerely appreciate your patience.

Grant limits

RPGP helps cover the cost of professional development for GPs who provide procedural and/or emergency medicine services in unsupervised settings in rural and remote areas. Here are the grant limits for the respective categories:
 
Emergency

  • $2,000 per day for up to three days of face-to-face training per financial year.
  • $1,000 per day for up to three days of online training until 31 December 2023.
  • A grant of $2,000 per day for an additional three days per financial year for emergency mental health training. Online training in emergency mental health will be eligible for a $1,000 per day for up to three days per financial year.
Online activities claimed count toward the total $6,000 cap each financial year. 

Procedural
  • $2,000 per day for up to 10 days of face-to-face training per financial year.
  • $1,000 per day for up to 10 days of online training until 31 December 2023.

Online activities claimed count toward the total $20,000 cap each financial year. 
Currently, online claiming arrangements are due to end 31 December 2023.

Event in the spotlight

WONCA 2023
 
Date: 26–29 October 2023
Venue: ICC Sydney
Cost: Members Standard $1402. Non Members Standard $1720

 

Build your skills at the WONCA 2023 pre-conference workshops 
 
Need to build your skills in the use of ultrasound? Do you want to upgrade your skills in identifying skin legions?
 
These are just some of the topics being covered in WONCA 2023’s pre-conference workshops. These interactive and CPD-accredited workshops are aimed at building practical skills for GPs. 
 
Explore the program and register now by visiting www.wonca2023.com.au 

Please note: A Rural Procedural Grant may be available for attendance of a number of sessions of the WONCA program with more information to come

Register now

Claiming in the 2023–24 financial year

Locum participants

The current locum policy states that we cannot approve a locum’s grant claim until after they have completed your 28 days of locum work for the financial year. If you’re a locum, you’ll be entitled to the grant as long as you’re registered for the program. You’ll need to provide evidence of having completed the 28 days before your claim can be approved. 

To maintain eligibility as a locum participant in 2023–24, please send the following documents to rural.procedural.grants@racgp.org.au

  • A credentialing letter stating your unsupervised clinical privileges and scope of practice also the duration of this credentialing from one of the hospitals you attend. This isn’t required if your credentials on file are still current.
  • A letter of employment stating the dates and locations of your placements and the services you’ve provided for the 2023–24 financial year. The services you provided must also indicate if you were on an on-call roster. 

Claiming for clinical attachments

When submitting a claim for your clinical attachment, please make sure that you’ve filled out the supervised clinical attachment form

You also need to provide a summary of the learning objectives and outcomes Clearly state your learning objectives, educational exposure and learning outcomes in a separate word document.  

Please see the following as a guide: 

Learning objective 
A general statement about what you want to learn throughout the attachment. 

Learning outcomes 
A specific statement describing exactly what measurable skills and abilities you’ve developed.  

As an alternative to the supervised clinical attachment form, please attach a letter from the attachment supervisor which includes dates and hours worked. 

Submit your claims through our RPGP grants portal.

Did you know?

Claiming for online activities extended to 31 December 2023

The Department of Health has extended its RPGP temporary online claiming arrangements to support GPs in claiming online education activities until 31 December 2023

Face-to-face courses

Course Date/location Grant approved
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop for GPs 25 August 2023 | Adelaide, South Australia One day all RPGP categories grant
Emergency trauma management course Multiple 2023 dates in VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, WA Three days – emergency medicine, anaesthetics, surgery
Advanced training in suicide prevention Multiple 2023 dates One day – emergency mental health
Obstetric emergencies 18 August 2023 | Esperance, Western Australia One day obstetrics grant
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop for GPs 23 September 2023 | Townsville, Queensland One day all RPGP categories.
Zedu Introductory for emergency medicine 4 – 7 September 2023 | Melbourne, Victoria Four-day grant in Emergency
Zedu Core obstetric ultrasound 14 – 15 September 2023 | Melbourne, Victoria Two-day grant in Obstetrics
Zedu Emergency ultrasound for rural and remote medicine 25–27 September 2023 | Melbourne, Victoria Three day grant in Emergency, Obstetrics
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop for GPs 22 November 2023
Coogee, NSW
One day Emergency Medicine
 

Online courses

Course Date/location Grant approved
Emergency mental health: Assessing suicide risk, AOD the acute response, safely dealing with ‘difficult’ behaviour Online, self-paced One day – emergency mental health
RESP: High-risk emergencies Online, self-paced One day – emergency medicine
Emergency mental health Online, self-paced One day – emergency mental health
Online foetal surveillance education program Online, self-paced One day – obstetrics
Professional certificate of skin cancer surgery principle Online, self-paced Nine days – surgery
Paediatric trauma Online, self-paced One day – emergency medicine
Responding to the deteriorating patient Online, self-paced Two days – emergency medicine, anaesthetics
GP clinical enhancement module: Youth mental health Online, self-paced One day – emergency mental health
Online emergency medicine for rural GPs workshop Saturday 7 October 2023 One day of funding under the Emergency Medicine.

This program is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health.




Contact RACGP Rural

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

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