Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) is inviting general practices in our region to submit Expression of Interests (EOI) to participate in a Palliative Care Quality Improvement in General Practice Initiative. Successful applicants will receive a one-off grant of $12,000 to support the work.
Applicants are required to submit their Expression of Interest by COB Monday 18 September 2023.
The year-long initiative, which will take place over a year starting Monday 25 September 2023.
Benefits of Participating
Participating general practices will benefit from the following objectives:
- To support general practices in improving timely identification, response and management of patients living with life-limiting illnesses in regional Victoria.
- Optimise quality-of-life-focused care strategies in general practices by timely identification of patients living with life-limiting illnesses.
- Improve palliative care registries including, but not limited to, advance care plans, wishes and goals of care of patients and elected medical guardian.
- Utilise data driven solutions to determine potential areas of improvement.
- Support practices to redesign care, systems, processes and workflows to embed quality-of-life-focused strategies.
- Improve general practice staff capacity and capability to respond to the needs of patients living with life-limiting illnesses
Participating clinics will receive support from WVPHN to plan and implement quality improvement activities, guided by the Palliative Care Quality Improvement Toolkit developed for General Practices in regional Victoria.
Background
In the 2021-22 Budget, the Australian Government committed $37.3 million to expand the Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care Measure beyond the 11 Primary Health Network (PHN) trial sites funded in 2017-18, to include all PHNs, nationally, for four years to 2024-25. WVPHN has received $1.05 million for the period 2021-22 to 2024-25.
WVPHN, Gippsland Primary Health Network and Murray Primary Health Network have collaborated to localise a Palliative Care Quality Improvement Toolkit for general practices in regional Victoria. This has included review by a Clinical Advisory Panel and GP subject matter expert. As part of this pilot, the toolkit will be used to support general practices in improving timely identification, response and management of patients living with life limiting illnesses in regional Victoria.
Eligibility
Funding is available for up to eight general practices and we are seeking EOIs from practices within each of WVPHN’s sub-regions (Ballarat Goldfields, Geelong Otway, Great South Coast and Wimmera Grampians).
To be eligible to apply for this EOI, practices must be:
- RACGP accredited
- Participate in Practice Incentives Program (PIP) Quality Improvement (QI)
- Able to provide Practice Manager or Practice Nurse support
- Use POLAR data analysis and clinical auditing tool
- Capacity to report a minimum data set
Please note, only practices with two or more GPs can apply.
Further information
Download our FAQs sheet here. Any further questions can be directed to tenders@westvicphn.com.au.
EOI Submissions
Applicants are required to submit their Expression of Interest using this form by COB Monday, 18 September 2023.