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Capital Health Network (CHN) is the ACT’s Primary Health Network (PHN). PHNs have been established by the Australian Government with the key objectives of:
- Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of health services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes
- Improving coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time.
CHN understands that it can be a very stressful time for a GP commencing their career, particularly without the oversight of a supervisor that they had while they were a registrar. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased GP isolation while also increasing the load of complex psychological and emotional issues that patients bring.
To provide much-needed guidance and support to newly fellowed GPs, CHN is administering a New Fellows Peer Support Program. The program will provide support and guidance to GPs early in their career, in the first 10 years post fellowship. Using a peer supervision and support model, participants will meet to discuss cases, stressors, professional challenges and identify learnings or changes they could incorporate into their professional life.
Each peer support group (four to six members) will be facilitated by one GP and one senior GP who will help the group connect, build trust and create peer supervision and support. The group will meet monthly for six months either via Zoom or face-to-face outside of the practice environment for one to two hours. The groups will be run using a discovery model of education where no one is an expert but rather all members share wisdom and experience with each other using supportive communication.
Participants will have the opportunity to share complex cases, talk about current frustrations or stresses and identify what learning or changes they could make to their practice. Participants gain experience around the benefits of small group peer to peer support and will receive a stipend at the end of the program of $600 if they attend a minimum of 5/6 sessions.
Members participating in the program will be expected to allocate adequate time for the peer group meetings. CHN may evaluate the program by seeking feedback from the participants and the group facilitator at the end of each session or post completion of the program. Participants will be expected to behave respectfully and adhere to professional ethics within the peer groups.
How to express an interest
a) Participant
If you are a GP (in the first 10 years post fellowship) and wish to be considered for this program, please complete this EOI form below by COB 10 June 2022. Whilst being a participant, you can also apply to be a facilitator.
b) Senior group facilitator
Whilst being a participant, you can also apply to be a senior facilitator. Group facilitators will receive training, support and a manual in small group peer to peer learning by the Associate Professor from the Academic Unit of General Practice. If you are a GP (10+ years post fellowship) and wish to be considered as a facilitator, please complete this EOI form below by COB 10 June 2022.
For any enquiries, please email Primary Care Project Lead, Kishan Sarvaiya: k.sarvaiya@chnact.org.au.