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Strengthening Medicare – General Practice Grants Program
Capital Health Network (CHN) invites general practices in the ACT to participate in the Strengthening Medicare – General Practice Grants Program. The program aims to support general practice to make improvements to their practices to expand patient access and provide better, safer and more accessible quality care.
OVERVIEW OF THE STRENGTHENING MEDICARE GP GRANTS PROGRAM
- General practices are invited to apply for a one-off grant of up to $50,000, with the exact value based on accreditation status and practice size, as calculated by the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC). The grants are available for investments as specified below and must be used by 30 June 2024.
- General practices are to identify investments within one or more of the three streams that best address individual practice needs:
1. Enhance digital health capability to fast-track the benefits of a more connected healthcare system in readiness to meet future standards.
Examples of activities include:
a) Purchase of new IT equipment to support the practice
b) Purchase of video conferencing software to support video telehealth services
c) Digital skills and literacy training courses delivered by a recognised Australian training service provider.
2. Upgrade infection prevention and control arrangements to ensure infectious respiratory disease (e.g., COVID-19, influenza) patients can be safely seen face-to-face. This does not include costs for consumables (PPE, Sanitiser, etc.) but may be used to fund activities such as:
a) Paying for a professional to assess existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
b) Buying new, updated or replacement high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filters, sterilising equipment, upgrading/installing air conditioning systems.
3. Maintain and/or achieve accreditation against the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Standards for General Practice to promote quality and safety in general practice.
To maintain or apply for accreditation, grants may be used for:
a) Improving infrastructure to ensure privacy and confidentiality of consultation space
b) Medication storage and/or management systems.
- The grant must not be used to fund the standard operational costs of the practice.
- The Quick Reference Guide covers more examples of activities that can be undertaken using the GP Grant.
LODGING YOUR APPLICATION
- Eligible general practices will receive an Invitation to Participate email with an application pack that contains a Letter of Invitation, Quick Reference Guide, and the Application and Grant Funding Agreement Form. The application pack provides detailed information about the grant opportunity and will guide practices through the requirements of the program.
- Applicants must read all the documents provided and agree to the terms and conditions as stated in the Grant Funding Agreement.
- Once completed, the Application and Grant Funding Agreement Form must be submitted to gpgrants@chnact.org.au.
- All applications will be processed by our team and once approved you will receive an application approval email and payment will be made to the bank account you have provided.
DATA AND REPORTING
- Receipts and invoices are not required to be submitted but must be retained for taxation purposes and random audits by the DoHAC.
- Changes in practice details and investment stream/s: Must be reported to CHN.
- Financial acquittal and self-evaluation form: To be submitted to CHN at the end of the program.
KEY DATES
21 April 2023: Applications Open
18 May 2023: Deadline for questions not covered in the FAQs
15 June 2023: Applications Close
30 June 2024: Grant funds must be exhausted
31 July 2024: Deadline for Financial Acquittal Report and Self-Evaluation Form
RESOURCES
Quick Reference Guide for General Practices
Strengthening Medicare GP Grants DoHAC Page
Frequently Asked Questions – CHN
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our team via gpgrants@chnact.org.au