Organised by Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) - an alternative pathway in GP training for people working in remote locations, the conference brought together Medical Educators, GP Supervisors and remote Registrars to discuss the common themes and challenges in the delivery of high quality supervision and training in the most remote parts of Australia. New technologies were showcased, stories shared and old friendships rekindled. NTGPE was a lead sponsor in the event held on 27 - 28 July and was represented by three staff – Tamsin Cockayne, Elly Fontes and Louise Harwood. A paper about the recent changes in PGPPP support was well received and Tamsin participated in a hypothetical forum looking at the difficulties of providing good training in remote locations. The conference was a great success in bringing together people who share a passion for the work we are involved in and creating linkages that will lead to collaboration into the future.

Indigenous Health Training (IHT) Posts in the Northern Territory have always been a big part of the NTGPE story. It’s a story centred on relationships between doctors (Registrars and PGPPP and Supervisors) and communities, a story about developing new skills, and discovering new parts of ourselves.

Indigenous Health Training Posts are about getting to know community, acquiring advanced communication skills and making a valuable contribution to the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples. The program expansion will focus on this, allowing Registrars time to get to know the community and also opportunities to learn from cultural educators who are now involved in regular ECTV and from experienced supervisors both onsite and living elsewhere.

Working in ATSI health in the Territory setting provides for great opportunities to hone clinical skills alongside experienced Aboriginal health workers, nurses and medical practitioners.

Since early 2012 NTGPE has been working on a program to expand IHT posts for both Registrars and PGPPP doctors and enhance the role of NTGPE’s cultural and medical educators in providing a high quality learning experience in ATSI health to all our learners.

From 2012 all NTGPE GP registrars will undertake an Indigenous Health Training Post for the equivalent (minimum) of 6 months part time at some point in their training. This may be in an Urban, rural or remote setting. Posts are as broad and diverse as the Aboriginal communities they occur in and include some exciting new Extended Skills Posts such as the combined Clinical/Public Health Post at AMSANT and DDHS and the expanded Advanced Rural Skills program with opportunities to learn local Aboriginal languages and to experience cultural immersion.

Whilst NTGPE has been developing this plan there has also been announced an opportunity for NTGPE to receive additional funding from GPET over the next three years to expand IHT training. We are currently planning a submission for this funding, particularly looking to ensure that the posts we currently have provide supported learning for the GPR and the community and to enhance the support for this increased IHT training activity to occur.

If you are currently working in Indigenous health we hope to be talking to you in the next month about how we can help create the best opportunities through these initiatives. We are also very happy to be contacted should you like to discuss it further.

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

The Board of Northern Territory General Practice Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Brett Dale as the new CEO of NTGPE. Brett will commence in late August and takes over from acting CEO Dr Chris Kennedy and will continue the development of remote General Practice education and training in Aboriginal Health from previous Executive Director Dr Michael Wilson, who departed in April this year.

Prior to joining the NTGPE, Brett was the Managing Director of the MTA Institute of Technology (MIT) for six years and was also responsible for the management and leadership of the commercial businesses of the parent company, the MTA Queensland. In his MIT role, Brett led training across Queensland to more than 2000 businesses delivering sustainable skilling solutions to industry. During his tenure as MD he served on a number of Boards and numerous advisory and representative committees at both State and National level.

Before entering the private sector, Brett gained more than 15 years’ experience in the health services branch of the Australian Defence Force. He commenced his career as a medic in roles ranging from inpatient care, primary health care, pre-hospital emergency care, AME, health educator and management roles. This experience provided a unique perspective of both vocational and education training and the health services nationally and internationally. In Iraq he was part of the leadership team responsible for establishing the Iraqi Support Services Institute which facilitated all aspects of vocational trade and technician training. One of Brett’s most valued experiences was gained as a member of the combined health element in Bougainville and PNG where he was actively involved in remote primary health care, rotary wing aero medical evacuation and developing and delivering health education programs.

Brett has gained experience at all levels of management across the vocational education and training sectors including: job analysis and design, training delivery for health, logistics and trades, business management, organizational development, leadership and corporate governance in both the public and private sectors. Brett is actively involved with state and national vocational education & training bodies working collaboratively to develop innovative skilling and workforce solutions to address the nation’s skills shortage.

Brett holds tertiary qualifications in business, including a MBA and Doctorate of Business which focused on change leadership and intrapreneurship in medium sized Australian commercial and not for profit enterprises. As a Member of Corporate Directors of Australia (CDAM) and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management (FAIM) he is aware of the contemporary needs and views of a modern workforce and best practice corporate governance.

Brett has worked and lived in most States and Territories and leaves behind sunny Queensland to embrace the lifestyle of the Northern Territory with his wife Tobi. Brett and Tobi have two adult children, Taila (son) 23 who has a degree in Biomedical Science and Hayley (daughter) 22 who is currently studying nursing.

The new AGPT publication that provides information to AGPT program GP Registrars on how to undertake an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health training post is now available in web ready version by clicking here.

For further information on NTGPE IHT Posts, click here

THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP

Minister for Health

MEDIA RELEASE

July 16 2012

RECORD NUMBER OF GP TRAINING PLACES IN 2013

The Gillard Government will recruit a record number of junior doctors into GP training places in 2013 with selection to 1100 entry places currently underway across the country.

“We want to make it easier for families to be able to see a GP when and where they need one and this record number of GP training places will help that happen,” said Minister for Health, Tanya Plibersek.

“In 2007 when Tony Abbott was Health Minister there were only 600 GP training places a year and chronic GP shortages across the country.

“By 2014 we will have doubled the number of GPs in training with more being trained in each State and Territory.

“This is part of the Government’s plan to massively increase the medical workforce and by 2020 there will be an extra 5,500 GP’s and 680 specialist doctors nationwide,” said Ms Plibersek.

The Government today released the GP Training Places for 2013 broken down by State.

General Practice Education and Training (GPET) is currently assessing 1510 applications for the Australian General Practice Training program.

Regional Training Providers will be interviewing shortlisted applicants in the coming weeks and will start making offers of training places in August/September. Successful applicants will start their training as GP registrars in 2013.

Rural GPs or GP Registrars could be eligible to access financial support to maintain their procedural skills. Training grants of up to $20,000 per financial year are available under the auspices of the Rural Procedural Grants Program, for credentialed GP anaesthetists, GP obstetricians and GP Surgeons who are providing unsupervised obstetrics, anaesthetics or surgery in their rural hospitals.

GP Registrars who have

a) qualifications in procedural medicine eg DRANZCOG, JCCA or JCCS credentialling
b) credentialing from an area health unit or a hospital credentialing committee to deliver
unsupervised anaesthetics, obstetrics, surgery (abdominal/gynae/endoscopic or orthopaedic) and
c) who are regularly providing such services in their rural hospitals

may be eligible to participate in the procedural component of the grants program.

Pauline Curtis, RACGP Program Coordinator, RPGP / LEAP, advises that she is looking forward to supporting the GP Registrars and GP Supervisors who qualify for participation in the procedural component of the Rural Procedural Grants Program. They do not need to be members of the RACGP to be registered in the grants program by the RACGP. The same is true for the ACRRM.

For further information please visit http://www.racgp.org.au/rural/traininggrants or contact Pauline Curtis at the RACGP on 08 8267 8351 or [email protected]

Program Coordinator, RPGP / LEAP

Five NTGPE staff hit the pavement on Friday 6 July to join hundreds of others who made the peaceful annual pilgrimage from Bennett Park to Raintree Park to celebrate all things Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and create awareness in the wider community of the status of Indigenous Australians. The march was followed by a welcome dance from the Kenbi dancers and a rallying speech from John Paterson, NAIDOC patron and Executive Officer of AMSANT. It was a great turnout, with some participants sesoned marchers, having taken part every year.

Garry Lambert, NTGPE Business Manager, and Samantha Gilbert, NTGPE Housing Officer, went on a day trip to Oenpelli on 20 June 2012 to inspect the almost finished one bedroom demountable donga for Prevocational Doctors which is located next to the medical student donga. Construction is anticipated to be complete in two months then it will be furnished and put to use to provide fresh comfortable accommodation for the Prevocational Doctors on placement.

Joan Tuppack, Gunbalanya Clinic Manager, kindly took time out of her hectic day to show Garry and Samantha around the NTGPE GPR house (currently being used for GP Locums). All three houses/dongas were in great condition and well looked after and it was pleasing to see them being utilised to best effect for the program participants and the community.

By special request from Gunbalanya Clinic, NTGPE also provided the medical students with a brand new push bike - transport logistics meant Garry and Samantha took it out to Oenpelli in parts then assembled it there for the students to sightsee and get around the community easier. A test drive was in order first of course!

NTGPE has improved the process for the 2013 GPR GPT and PRRT placements, in response to consultative processes, allowing a shift to being more GPR driven.

Now a two round process, there are more opportunities for input into training and employment decisions for GPRs and practices. It is hoped that this new practice will encourage the GP Registrar to be in contact with the practices to ascertain the working environment and opportunities available, in the lead up to the submission of placement requests for each round.

To view the new Placement Process Flowchart for 2013, click here.

To view the Registrar Placement Information Guide for 2013 , click here.

Tamsin Cockayne, NTGPE Director of Medical and Cultural Training, has been selected to be a member of the newly formed Governing Council that will oversee networks in the Top End. A second committee resides over the Central Australia district.

Coming into effect on 1 July, these new Councils are part of widespread Government reforms and have been welcomed by Health Minister Kon Vatskalis as a more effective networked governance system in line with other Australian jurisdictions. The committee’s role will include leading clinical and community engagement to achieve more efficient service provision.

For more on this story click here