People Medical Consulting
People Medical Consulting

General Practitioner Industry Updates

Joannah 23/02/2023
General Practice Updates Australia | People Medical Consulting

In a constantly changing environment, we summarise the most important updates for General Practitioners. 

This week’s summary includes updates from:

  • AMC
  • AHPRA
  • Department of Health and Aged Care
  • 3GA/GP Programs
  • ACRRM
  • RACGP
  • OET
  • MBS

GENERAL UPDATES

REQUESTS FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT IN THE AGPT PROGRAM

From the RACGP advisory, the process for reviewing requests for letters of support to enable doctors affected by the 10 year moratorium (19AB) to participate in the AGPT selection process to train in a metropolitan area is currently transitioning over from the Department of Health and Aged Care to the RACGP.

We will keep you posted once RACGP releases its guidelines on requests for Exemptions.

SHOULD RURAL GENERALIST MEDICINE BE A NEW FIELD OF SPECIALTY PRACTICE?

ACRRM and RACGP have united to support rural generalist medicine to be recognised as a new field of specialty practice. You are welcome to give feedback on the application in a public consultation posted on AHPRA’s website, which is open until 12 December 2023. Read more here. You can also click on ACRRM and RACGP to read their articles about the news.

CLINICAL TRIALS WEBSITE
New Australian Clinical Trials website launched early November 2023. You can read more about it here.

COVID-19

End of COVID-19 Emergency Response – “COVID-19 is no longer a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance (CDINS)…While COVID-19 remains a serious threat to the health of Australians, state and territory health systems are well placed to manage the virus alongside other infectious diseases.” Read more about the statement from Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, on the end of the COVID-19 emergency response here.

Pandemic Response Sub-Register – Medical practitioners no longer have the notation ‘Registered on pandemic response sub-register’ on their registration and are now registered until 30 September 2023. Read more here.

HEALTH WORKFORCE CERTIFICATE

Visas for GPs Program ended last 16 September 2023. Health Workforce Certificates (HWC) is no longer a requirement for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) applying for their visa. Read more here.

GENERAL PRACTICE FUNDS – 

The federal budget for general practice in the next 5 years is now over $5.7 billion in order to provide better healthcare. Here is the specific breakdown of the funding, as stated by RACGP:

  • $445.1 million to support a 30% increase to the Workforce Incentive Program, increasing the maximum payment to $130,000 per practice
  • $99.1 million to facilitate the creation of a new level E MBS item for consultations lasting 60 minutes or longer
  • $3.5 billion over five years to triple the bulk billing incentive
  • $112 million over four years, separate the Strengthening Medicare funding, to introduce a new general practice in aged care incentive payment
  • Funding for longer telehealth item numbers, tied to registered patients (not bulk billing)
  • $145 million to support after-hours care, targeted at homeless and culturally and linguistically diverse people
  • $50 million for wound consumables, specific to patients with diabetes aged over 65 years
  • the extension of Practice Incentive Program Quality Improvement (PIP QI) payments for at least another 12 months
  • $4.5 million over five years to increase rural generalist trainees by expanding the single employer model trials by a further 10 trial sites from 1 July

Read more about the latest news here. For a detailed breakdown, you may also see it here.

Furthermore, there is a $1.5 million grant given by the Australian Government to Outback Futures for the development of access to allied health professionals in rural areas. Read more here.

DPA or DWS classification – 

Kindly check the Health Workforce Locator for the latest DPA and MMM status of locations that you are interested in.

You may access the link here: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/health-workforce-locator/health-workforce-locator 

AMC – 

Please be advised that fees for AMC portfolio application, CAT MCQ examination, Clinical examination, and Workplace Based Assessment (WBA) will be changed starting from 8 January 2024. See the updated fees for the incoming year here.

Apart from the various colleges accredited by AMC as CPD homes, DoctorPortal Learning also obtained initial accreditation as a CPD home. You may check their link here: https://www.dplearning.com.au/

AHPRA – 

Registration Data – Quarterly registration data has been released. You can check the news here. 

Fees – From 9 August 2023, the registration renewal fee for medical practitioners outside NSW raised from $860 to $995 per year. The application fees have also been updated, especially for international medical graduates and general registration. You can check the new fees here. You can also check the National registration fees for 2023/24 (excluding NSW) here.

Telehealth – Updated telehealth guidelines took effect on 1 September 2023. Read more about the news here.

CPD – The Medical Board’s new Continuing Professional Development registration standard started on 1st Jan 2023. Doctors will do 50 hours of CPD annually which must included of the following:

  • 25 hours active CPD – reviewing performance and measuring outcomes (doctors decide the best mix for these activities to suit their practice, with five hours minimum of each type)
  • 12.5 hours traditional learning or educational activities – reading, lectures, conferences
  • 12.5 hours – doctors choose across the three types of CPD.

For more information, please click here: https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/News/2021-07-30-greenlight-cpd-changes.aspx

From January 2024, all doctors, unless stated otherwise, must have CPD homes. Read more about what you need to do, if you are an exception, and the FAQs here: https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Professional-Performance-Framework/CPD/What–do-I-need-to-do.aspx

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AGED CARE – 

Since 1 October 2023, Australians holding a valid Medicare card or a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Veteran card have the choice to voluntarily register for MyMedicare which is a new voluntary patient registration model. You can read more about MyMedicare here and the patient registration here.


The Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care was established last 16 October 2023 which is a new independent statutory authority to improve the healthcare in the aged care system. Read more here.

MBS – 

From 1 November 2023, Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) bulk billing incentive payments are raised for Commonwealth concession card holders and children under 16 years of age for various MBS consultation items. Read more about the incentive here, and the latest news here.

Starting from 1 November 2023, there will be Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) changes which include administrative changes, additional indexation of fees in line with the 2023/24 Budget and an increase in the greatest permissible gap due to annual indexation. Read more about it here:  http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-2023-11-01 

You can also see a summary of the changes to the MBS from 1 November here by RACGP.

RACGP – 

PEP – Specialist Stream – From 22 November 2023 an exemption will apply to the following Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for Comparability Assessments:

  • Any 50 hours of CPD in the 12 months prior to applying for your comparability assessment will be eligible to be assessed – the requirements for demonstrating breadth and a limit on the maximum hours per day will be removed. (clause 3.3.4.a.a – 3.3.4.a.b). 
  • Ten Clinical Case Analyses will no longer be required to be submitted or assessed (clause 3.3.4.c)

*This will apply to all pending and new applications. Please click here for more information.

Guidelines for standards for general practice residential aged care (Standards for GPRAC) have been set for the improvement of safety and quality of care in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Read more here.

3GA/GP TRAINING PROGRAM UPDATES

ACRRM – 

  • RGTS applications for 2024 Semester 2 – Intake 2 open until 15 January 2024.
  • AGPT applications for 2024 Semester 2 – Intake 2 open until 15 January 2024.
  • Independent Pathway applications for 2024 Semester 2 – Intake 2 open until 15 January 2024.

RACGP – 

  • FSP third intake commences on 8 January 2024.
  • 2024.2 FSP Applications starts on Monday 15 January 2024 until 11.59 pm AEDT Thursday 15 February 2024. The program will begin on 8 July 2024.

GRANTS

Local Primary Health Network (PHNs) may also have grants available for you. You can check your local PHN in the map locator, or see their contact details. 

We have listed the ongoing grants below. You may also check the PHN Grants Guidelines for further reference.

EXAM UPDATES

AMC MCQ Exam Dates and Venues – 

AMC MCQ exams scheduled until November 2024 are now available. Kindly check this link for the dates and venues: https://www.amc.org.au/pathways/standard-pathway/amc-assessments/mcq-examination/mcq-examination-events/ 

Note that fees for AMC MCQ exams will be changed from 8 January 2024.

AMC Clinical Exam Dates and Venues – 

AMC ONLINE Clinical examinations dates from February to April 2024 are now available. AMC also has introduced a new scheduling system. You may view it here: https://www.amc.org.au/pathways/standard-pathway/amc-assessments/clinical-examination/ 

Please note that fees for AMC Clinical exams will be changed from 8 January 2024. When you schedule from the 6 November, the 2024 fee increase will also be applied.

See the updated AMC fees for the incoming year here.

ACRRM – 

  • Be prepared to sit your ACRRM-PESCI within 2-3 months after sending your application, for its availability is dependent on demand.
  • ACRRM Assessment (Mock StAMPS 2024A) on 9 and 10 Mar 2024 is open for enrolment from 30 Oct 2023 to 12 Dec 2023.

IME – 

  • In-Person or Virtual PESCIs are available and can be applied online.

RACGP – 

  • PESCI Dates are offered from 4 weeks.

OET – 

  • Incoming OET on Paper test dates for registration are on 13 Jan 2024.
  • Incoming OET on Computer test dates for registration are on 13 Dec 2023 – 16 Dec 2023.

There are more available test dates for the Occupational English Tests. You may check and schedule yours here: https://oet.com/test/book-a-test

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES AND NOTES on 4th Quarter of 2023

DID WE MISS SOMETHING IMPORTANT?

We’re here to help. If there is something we’re missing, please let us know! Our team are available at help@peoplemedical.com.au 

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? 

Our team offers General Practitioners assistance with finding jobs and a career pathway, and Medical Facilities to find a new Medical Practitioner. We also help with the full application process with AHPRA, RACGP, ACRRM, Department of Health, Medicare including 19AA & 19AB. If we can help, please contact us at help@peoplemedical.com.au. 

People Medical Consulting are a team of professionals with a passion for guiding those specialising in the Medical industry to find their career pathway and settle into Australia. Working with both Australian trained and Overseas trained professionals, we have extensive experience in Recruitment of General Practitioners and Document Assistance for those requiring support with RACGP, AHPRA, 19AA and 19AB Medicare Exemptions.

Categories: Industry Updates, Uncategorized

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