Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Training Strategic Plan

Strategies and Initiatives for 2014

NACHHO State and Territory Affiliate Role - $210,000
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACHHO) State and Territory Affiliate Role has been crucial in ensuring communications between (Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT) AMSANT and NTGPE have improved and has been instrumental in our delivery of our 2013 plan and remains vital for 2014. The Liaison Officer will work .5FTE within each organisation and will represent AMSANT to NTGPE on all issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The role will report directly to both CEO’s to ensure the highest level of collaboration is supported. During 2013 the role facilitated the support and needs of AMSANT to NTGPE and communicated training opportunities to the community controlled sector in the Northern Territory.

Team Supervision Training - $70,000
This strategy will provide high level supervision for doctors placed with multidisciplinary remote Indigenous health service providers. This is a team based training approach and a pilot has been approved by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

Cultural Immersion Camps for General Practice Registrars - $42,000
Cultural Immersion has been shown to greatly enhance the understanding of culture and the ability to deliver high quality health care to Aboriginal communities. NTGPE will provide camps for GP Registrars to increase skills in culture by experiencing Aboriginal culture.

Cultural Educators and Mentors Peers Education Support - $12,250
Peer support is vital for the strengthening of the current national Cultural Education and Cultural Mentor network. In 2013 the funding for this strategy allowed all our Cultural Workers to attend the workshop where the senior members played leadership roles and the junior team members developed new linkages.

Development of Indigenous Health Training Modules for GP Registrars - $15,000
Since 2012 all NTGPE GP Registrars have undertaken an Aboriginal Health Training Term; feedback has shown that this training would be enhanced by a set of readings and modules that they work through with their supervisors during their term. This strategy will develop a set of NTGPE Indigenous Health Training (IHT) modules, which would support structured learning of a GP Registrar going into an IHT site at any stage of their training.Based on current GP Start modules formats, this resource will be shared nationally for GP Registrars.

Bush Tucker/Traditional Healing Workshop/ Modules - $15,000
Feedback from teleconference and ECTV to CEs shows that GPR and PGPPP express frustration around the topic of compliance with medications. Those experienced in Aboriginal Health Care develop an understanding of the role of traditional Healing and Bush Medicine. This strategy will further develop a module on the role of Traditional Healing in holistic provision of health care for GP Registrar.

Word of the Week and basic NT language primers - $15,000
Language barrier is a recurring theme in program participants’ feedback. Communication difficulties are perceived as an aspect undermining trust and relationship between patients and doctors and participants are eager to learn some words appropriate to their role prior to their placement. This strategy will enhance basic language skills across the range of stakeholders - staff, learners, supervisors.

Interactive Training Post Map Wall - $8,000.00
Our program participants train in a range of sites across the whole expanse of the Northern Territory. When contacting Indigenous Health Training (IHT) clinics and program participants it is vital that program staff track remote community placements. This strategy will developed an interactive wall map to better track remote community placements. The map will be available to both NTGPE offices to allow sharing of information important to each Indigenous Health Training (IHT) posts.

AMSANT/NTGPE Leadership Program - $110,000.00
The Leadership Program aims to instil confidence and leadership competence amongst the PHC Team to support improved collaboration and team cohesiveness in culturally sensitive environments. The program will cover all Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS’s) both community controlled and government lead.

Incentives to entice GP Registrar to fill priority AMS training posts - $31,680
Due to the remoteness of these locations many GP Registrars partners are unable to work, meaning a financial disincentive for families to move to these areas. We therefore propose an additional four (4) funded trips into the nearest centre Alice or Darwin which may be used by the GP Registrar themselves or a family member, to make it easier to take up these posts. Increase the voluntary supply of GP Registrars to remote Aboriginal Medical Services. There are approximately 12 accredited Indigenous Health Training (IHT) posts in remote Northern Territory that do not have a GP Registrar training there for a term next year. At the same time there are GP Registrars who have not accepted a place as they consider these locations too remote.

Cyclone Protection Kits for AMS GPR - $6,300
Provide each of the rental properties that have been acquired to support increased training in remote communities with a Cyclone Kit. To improve safety for all program participants who are working remotely.

Cultural Mentoring Program - $120,000
It is recognised that Cultural Mentoring is crucial to culturally appropriate training in Aboriginal Communities. In 2013 NTGPE funded a collaborative program with Ground Up research to work with the Galiwink’u community to develop a community driven pilot for implementation in 2014. Piloting of the NTGPE Cultural Mentoring pilot in one site Galiwink’u(stage 2) whilst developing the pilot model to be implemented in 2015 in two other sites (Wurrimayanga and Gunbalanya) i.e. stage 1. This project is intended to roll out regionally.

Alyangula Health Centre (Groote Eylandt) Registrar/ Supervisor accommodation modification - $40,000
Extension of current accommodation to create capacity. Increase accommodation capacity to both PGPPPs and GPRs and provide supervisor support needed to function in remote locations.

House for Registrar and Supervisors to create capacity - $41,770
To improve the standard of living for GPRs working remotely to provide appropriate support for supervisor and registrars. NTGPE will engage community contractors to supply services necessary to improve the existing facility. Provide onsite and offsite supervision training and support throughout the year - includes costs of transportation and accommodation. Provide enhanced package of education support for remote - includes additional ECTV, 4wd, emergency course as per 2013 plan.

Nominations for the 2014 GPET Awards are open until Friday 20 June. The awards are designed to honour significant contributions from individuals and organisations involved in the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program, including registrars, supervisors, medical educators, regional training providers (RTPs), RTP staff, as well as Aboriginal medical services and their staff.

“I was quite surprised by the announcement but I was pleased because I took it as recognition for all my endeavours in medical education but more particularly in the area of educational enhancement.” Dr George Zaharias – VMA

This year there are six categories including:

· GP Registrar of the Year

· GP Supervisor of the Year

· Medical Educator of the Year

· Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Training Award

· RTP Staff Excellence

· RTP Innovation

We encourage you to take this opportunity to nominate your colleagues and peers and acknowledge their contributions, achievements and excellence in general practice education and training. Nomination forms can be found atlinks above or via the GPET website.

The awards will be presented at the 2014 GPET Convention which will be held at the Royal International Convention Centre, Brisbane 3 - 4 September. For further information please contact [email protected]

Federal funding for the Prevocational General Practice Placements Program (PGPPP) will end December 2014.

Each year, Northern Territory General Practice Training Education (NTGPE) place up to 90 prevocational doctors on 12 week placements in rural and remote locations across the Northern Territory.

Closure of the program will result in a loss of 25 fulltime equivalent prevocational doctors working in remote communities at any time in the Northern Territory.

Doctors working in the Northern Territory face a variety of challenges not commonly found in other places of Australia, and prevocational doctors remain vitally important to the supply of our future GP workforce and the health outcomes of our most vulnerable.

The Prevocational General Practice Placement Program (PGPPP) is a national program that aims to encourage doctors to consider General Practice (particularly rural and remote) as their chosen profession. For the Territory the program is also integral to the supply and access of primary health care for many of Australia’s most disadvantaged.

Funding to support NTGPE’s delivery of training to GP Registrars remains secure until the end of 2015. However, the Government has announced that future contracts will be fully contestable and provided by a smaller number of regional training providers.

NTGPE supports a contestable environment and looks forward to delivering GP training well beyond 2015. We encourage our stakeholders and communities to watch and listen vigilantly to ensure that future policy supports the critical need for GPs training and working in our rural and remote jurisdiction.

PDF: Budget cuts will reduce number of doctors in remote communities

You may be aware of changes announced Tuesday by the Federal Government regarding GP education and training.

• The budget announcement endorsed the Commission of Audit Report recommendation to absorb the national management of the General Practice Education and Training (GPET) into the Department of Health.

• GPET’s responsibilities are to be transferred to the Department of Health by 31 December, 2014. However, for the remainder of 2014, GPET will retain management of the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) and Prevocational and General Practice (PGPP) Programs as well as the selection process for an increased 2015 AGPT registrar cohort.

• The PGPPP will cease as of 31 December, 2014. Until this date NTGPE remain committed to delivering the highest quality of training for our prevocational doctors on placement. NTGPE staff will be in contact with those affected by the changes.

• Funding to support NTGPE’s delivery of training to GP Registrars remains secure until the end of 2015. However, the Government has announced that future contracts will be fully contestable and provided by a smaller number of regional training providers.

NTGPE supports a competitive environment and looks forward to delivering GP training well beyond 2015.

We will work collaboratively with all of our stakeholders, participants, the Department of Health and GPET to minimise any disruption to training services.

GPET Transition to Department of Health - Update 11 June 2014

Nominations opened last week for the RACGP elections. As part of this process RACGP is seeking a Registrar Representative to join the 57th council.

The nomination period closes on Friday 6 June 2014 at 4.00 pm AEST and details on eligibility requirements, position duties and nomination forms can be found at http://www.racgp.org.au/yourracgp/organisation/council/2014-council-elections/

Role description - Registrar Representative on Council

The election key dates are listed below:

Election Important dates
Nominations open - 9 May 2014 4.00pm AEST
Nominations close - 6 June 2014 4.00pm AEST
Nominations announced - 9 June 2014
Voting opens & material available - 16 June 2014 4.00pm AEST
Voting closes - 11 July 2014 4.00pm AEST
Declaration of poll - 14 July 2014

If you have any enquiries about the RACGP nomination or election processes, please contact Helen Gaskin, RACGP Executive Assistant, Office of the CEO and President via email [email protected] or phone 03 8699 0321.

Registrations for GP14 – The RACGP Conference for General Practice are now open. Australia’s premier event for general practice will take place at the Adelaide Convention Centre from 9–11 October 2014, offering the opportunity to earn both Category 1 and Category 2 QI&CPD points through a range of active learning modules, workshops, sessions, short paper presentations and CPR workshops. GP14 also features one of Australia’s largest general practice exhibitions and an exciting social program full of networking opportunities.

Lead. Inspire. is the overarching theme and will be explored throughout the six key streams; family health, procedural/clinical skills, chronic conditions and pain management, mental health, business, technology and innovation, and education and workforce.

Take advantage of early bird registration rates and view the program at www.gpconference.com.au.