Access to GP care for RACH residents
Brisbane North PHN is working with general practices and Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs) to support better access to GPs for RACH residents.
General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (GPACI)
Our work has been enabled by the introduction of the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (GPACI) by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA) in July 2024. This is the first incentive of the MyMedicare program.
GPACI aims to improve the quality of care for residents living in RACHs by strengthening and formalising relationships between residents and their GP or general practice. GPACI promotes regular visits from their GP and additional care planning services to ensure continuity of care and prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
General practices and GPs will receive incentive payments for visiting residents of RACHs. Residents must register with MyMedicare in order for their GP and general practice to receive the incentive payments.
RACHs can help GPs by:
- ensuring they know about GPACI and are ready to answer questions from residents and their families. The Department has developed an Information Kit for Residential Aged Care Homes to help with this activity
- providing information to residents and their families about the new incentive and how they can register for MyMedicare. The Department has developed an Information Kit for Aged Care Residents, their Families and Carers for this activity
- speaking to GPs about how they can assist with the process of registering residents. For more information about how residents can register, refer to the MyMedicare information page of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.
Facilitating better access to primary care
Brisbane North PHN has consulted RACHs, GPs, consumers and other key stakeholders to understand the current state of GP access for residents of RACHs in our region. A summary of what we heard can be found in the RACH Resident Access to Primary Care Report December 2024.
Brisbane North PHN is working with an expert advisory group to develop resources and interventions that will support better access to GPs for residents of RACHs. We will continue to update these resources as they become available.
