Draft Processes for approving additional GPR uses

As part of the EPC Education and Linkages Program GPDV contracted Shane Thomas and Associates to prepare a report on the issues involved in the low take-up of the EPC items in the Residential Care sector and to suggest means for improving the uptake. Shane Thomas gave a short presentation to the Board. The report recommends

1. an education and marketing strategy for RACFs ;
2. the development of a kit for divisions based on North East Valley Division�s approach to educating facilities and GPs; and
3. the establishment of more GP provider panels for unattached patients to reduce the number of GPs coming to any one facility and provide better support to them.

Re recommendation1) the Board decided to advocate to the Commonwealth to invest dollars in educating the RACFs.

Re recommendation 2) the Board noted the need for funding to encourage other divisions to take on North East Valley�s approach;

Re recommendation 3) the Board suggested that the EPC items are a small bandaid over major systemic problems associated with GP services to RACFs. Divisions could play a valuable role in providing networking and education opportunities for GPs and RACF staff

• The Board decided to develop an issues paper on GP services for RACFs for National comment, for the VACGP Aged Care Subcommittee, and for divisions to comment on.

Draft Processes for approving additional GPR uses

The board accepted the draft proposal for approving additional uses of the GPR and recommended that the draft proposal be distributed to all divisions for comment, including specific examples of recent requests.

The board approved the use of the GPR by the Inner Melbourne Post Acute Care (IMPAC) following a written request from the three divisions covered by its catchment area (Melbourne, Inner East Melbourne, Northern Melbourne).

The board accepted the draft proposal, on the understanding that the following amendments will be made:

• Limit speaker time to one hour
• Remove "Maximum of three speakers"
• Hot Topics from divisions need to be presented 10 days before forum
• Status of forums to be specified, i.e. The forum is not a members meeting but a discussion forum. Therefore votes will not be taken and the views expressed do not provide directives for the Board. They are a valuable means of consultation for the Board with members

The Board decided to distribute the proposal to divisions for comment.

The board received a report from Chris Pearce on the meeting between GPDV and the GPET Board to discuss our proposal for a pilot project aimed at promoting an integrated approach to GP, registrar, and undergraduate education. The response from the GPET Board was not encouraging. They indicated that it seemed like a centralised solution, that it was not a National approach, and that GPET was not a funding body.

GPET has put out tenders for Innovation Grants up to $60,000.The options for GPDV appear to be to shift the proposal to ADGP or to a regional consortium such as VMA. The Board decided to await further action until feedback is received from Bill Coote, CEO of GPET.