Question On Notice No. 1817 asked in the Legislative Council on 6 December 2018 by Hon Martin Aldridge
Question Directed to the: Parliamentary Secretary representing the Deputy Premier; Minister for Health; Mental Health
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I refer to your media statement on 15 June 2017, in relation to incentives for regional General Practitioner’s (GP) from the Royalties for Regions Southern Inland Health Initiative (SIHI), and I ask:
(a) which regional locations are subject to SIHI GP incentives;
(b) what are the incentives available at each location;
(c) what are the eligibility criteria with respect to each incentive available to regional GP’s;
(d) please detail the incentive changes to regional GP’s following the election of the Labor State Government;
(e) are any regional locations no longer eligible to receive SIHI incentives following the election of the Labor State Government;
(f) with respect to close-on-call and call-out arrangements for GP’s providing services to WA Country Health Service facilities please advise:
(i) what are the specific arrangements at each of the following regional locations:
(A) Ravensthorpe;
(B) Hopetoun;
(C) Jerramungup;
(D) Lake Grace; and
(E) Esperance;
(g) what is the annual cost for arrangements at each location (of (A)-(E))?
Answered on 14 March 2019
I am advised that:
(a) Since July 2018 the Southern Inland Health Initiative was replaced with Country Health Innovation program (CHI).
The regional locations subject to financial incentives to eligible General Practitioners, as at March 2019, include:
REGION
|
HEALTH DISTRICT
|
TOWN
|
Midwest
|
Midwest
|
Kalbarri, Morawa, Mullewa, Three Springs
|
Murchison
|
Cue, Meekatharra, Mount Magnet, Yalgoo
|
Goldfields
|
South East Coastal
|
Esperance, Norseman
|
Northern Goldfields
|
Laverton, Leonora
|
Great Southern
|
Central Great Southern
|
Katanning, Gnowangerup, Tambellup, Ravensthorpe
|
Wheatbelt
|
Western Wheatbelt
|
Beverley, Cunderdin, Dalwallinu, Goomalling Northam, Wongan Hills, Wyalkatchem
|
Eastern Wheatbelt
|
Bruce Rock, Corrigin, Kununoppin, Merredin, Narembeen, Southern Cross
|
Southern Wheatbelt
|
Boddington, Darkin, Williams, Brookton, Kondinin, Kulin, Lake Grace, Narrogin, Pingelly
|
Coastal Wheatbelt
|
Moora
|
South West
|
Blackwood
|
Boyup Brook, Bridgetown,
|
Leeuwin
|
Margaret River
|
Wellington
|
Collie
|
Leschenault
|
Harvey
|
Warren
|
Manjimup, Northcliffe, Pemberton
|
(b) The CHI Emergency and Acute Workforce financial incentives include the following key incentives:
- Emergency Department Incentive.
- Procedural Incentive.
- Aboriginal Community Health Incentive.
- Small Town General Practitioner (GP) Hospital Incentive.
- Location Support Incentive.
As at March 2019, the following incentives are eligible at the following locations:
REGION
|
LOCATION
|
AVAILABLE INCENTIVE
|
Midwest
|
Kalbarri
|
Emergency Response Payment, Location Support
|
Meekatharra
|
Emergency Response Payment
|
Mullewa
|
Aboriginal Community Health Payment
|
Morawa
|
Emergency Response Payment
|
Three Springs
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Mount Magnet/Cue/Yalgoo
|
Emergency Response Payment
|
Goldfields
|
Esperance
|
Emergency Department Incentive, Procedural Incentive
|
Laverton
|
Emergency Response Payment, Location Support, Aboriginal Community Health Payment
|
Leonora
|
Emergency Response Payment, Location Support, Aboriginal Community Health Payment
|
Norseman
|
Emergency Response Payment, Location Support
|
Gt Southern
|
Katanning
|
Emergency Department Incentive, Aboriginal Community Health Payment
|
Gnowangerup, Tambellup
|
Aboriginal Community Health Payment
|
Ravensthorpe, Hopetoun
|
Emergency Response Payment, Location Support
|
Wheatbelt
|
Beverley, Brookton
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Goomalling
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Lake Grace
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Northam
|
Emergency Department Incentive
|
Wongan Hills
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Wyalkatchem
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Corrigin
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Kununoppin
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Merredin
|
Emergency Department Incentive
|
Cunderdin
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Bruce Rock
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Narembeen
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Southern Cross
|
Emergency Response Payment, Location Support
|
Narrogin
|
Emergency Department Incentive, Procedural Incentive
|
Pingelly
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Boddington, Darkin, Williams
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Kondinin/Kulin
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Moora
|
Emergency Department Incentive
|
Dalwallinu
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
South West
|
Boyup Brook
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Manjimup
|
Emergency Department Incentive, Procedural Incentive
|
Collie
|
Emergency Department Incentive, Procedural Incentive
|
Bridgetown
|
Emergency Department Incentive, Procedural Incentive
|
Harvey
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Pemberton/Northcliffe
|
Small Town GP Hospital Payment
|
Margaret River
|
Emergency Department Annual Payment
|
(c)
COUNTRY HEALTH INNOVATION INCENTIVE
|
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
|
Emergency Department (ED) Incentive
|
An ED Incentive is available in eligible sites and to GPs who are:
· suitably credentialed for ED clinical scope of practice;
· available to participate and work unsupervised “on the floor” in an ED when rostered and must meet the defined shift criteria;
· available at short notice after hours to attend an ED facility.
The eligibility criteria also covers specific requirements for, the applicant to be a resident within their participating eligible site and for the provision of a community GP within the relevant Health District.
|
Procedural Incentive
|
A Procedural Incentive is available in eligible sites, and these sites are targeted based on a strategy to support births in the local site and within the district.
The Procedural Incentive provides an annual Incentive for:
· suitably credentialed GPs with relevant procedural clinical scope of practice credentialing (ie Obstetrics, Anaesthetics, General Surgery)
· participating in procedural rosters) including after hours if applicable
· who are onsite within working hours/weekend days and are available at short notice to attend an ED as required.
The eligibility criteria also covers specific requirements for, the applicant to be a resident within their participating eligible site and for the provision of a community GP within the relevant Health District.
|
Aboriginal Community Health Incentive
|
The Aboriginal Community Health Incentive may be available to support care to Aboriginal populations in key towns.
An applicant must provide evidence as to how its service supports WACHS objectives to reduce the burden of disease in Aboriginal people through the provision of Aboriginal Health Care clinics.
Access to the Incentive is determined by need and may vary from time to time as determined by WACHS.
Eligibility criteria also covers specific requirements relating to training in cultural safety, and for a GP to be resident within their participating Health Eligible and provision of a community GP practice within the relevant Health District.
|
Small Town GP Hospital Incentive
|
The Small Town GP Hospital Incentive may be available for solo, suitably credentialed GPs in eligible small towns.
This incentive is only available to a solo GP who does not receive other financial incentives under this program.
Eligibility criteria also cover specific requirements for GPs to be resident within their participating Health Eligible and provision of a community GP practice within the relevant Health District.
|
Location Support Incentive
|
The Location Support Incentive may be available for GPs in eligible towns where there is a demonstrable need.
Eligibility criteria also cover specific requirements for GPs to be resident within their participating Health Eligible and provision of a community GP practice within the relevant Health District.
|
(d)
KEY INCENTIVES
|
INCENTIVE CHANGES EFFECTIVE 1 JULY 2018
|
1. Emergency Department Incentive
|
Nil change
|
2. Procedural Incentive
|
Nil change
|
3. Aboriginal Community Health Incentive
|
Incentive has been reframed to improve targeted sites and transparency of performance reporting.
|
4. Primary Health Care Payment
|
Payment has been withdrawn, and objectives subsumed under the Small Town GP Hospital Incentive.
|
5. Small Town GP Hospital Incentive
|
Introduction of new payment to incentivise solo GPs to provide targeted support to eligible local hospitals.
|
6. Attraction and Assistance Incentive
|
Incentive has been withdrawn
|
7. Location Support Incentive
|
Nil Change
|
(e) There is no change to the locations that are eligible to receive financial incentives with the change in Government however, there has been a rationalisation of incentives offered to ensure appropriate care is provided where there is demonstrable need.
(f)
(i)
(A) & (B): Support to Hopetoun is packaged with Ravensthorpe
- One Location Support Payment is available for up to one GP.
(C): Nil.
(D): One Small Town GP Hospital Payment is available.
(E):
- Thirteen Emergency Department Incentive packages are available.
- Eight Procedural Incentives are available.
(g) The following projected annual costs are currently confirmed for each stated location including:
LOCATION
|
ANNUAL COSTS
|
A) Ravensthorpe and B) Hopetoun
|
$30,000
|
C) Jerramungup
|
$0
|
D) Lake Grace
|
$26,080
|
E) Esperance
|
$997,500
|