After Hours Support Program - Expression of Interest

The demands being experienced across the health system, particularly during the after hours period, are ongoing. The Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN recognises the valuable contribution general practices involved in the recent After Hours Support Program made to providing the right care to patients, in the right place, at the right time. Subsequently, the GP After Hours Support Program has been extended with the aim of:

• reducing waiting times for GP consultations;
• reducing pressures on Emergency Departments; and
• improving access to preventative health assessments for the healthy, working age cohort, in the after-hours period.

Program Aim

Continuation of the Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN’s After Hours program, aims to support general practice and the increased patient demand for services, by offering administrative support payments and business performance tools to extend opening hours into the after hours period to:

• Address the additional demands currently being experienced across the health system and our communities.
• Provide ongoing support to the ‘Living with COVID-19’ health care environment.
• Help optimise current practice resources, with a view to providing ongoing sustainable after hours services.

Furthermore, the PHN recognises the importance of a preventative approach to health care. Subsequently, the PHN is encouraging general practices to provide innovative service models of after hours preventative health, with an aim to:

• Provide working community members with an opportunity to access after hours preventative health care.
• Promote preventative health care within the community.
• Support practices to provide innovative models of preventative health care in an ongoing sustainable manner.

Program eligibility

Practices participating in the After Hours Support Program can access two administrative support payments depending on the mix of services provided during the defined after hours periods, an After Hours Payment and After Hours Preventative Health Payment. Eligible practices may also seek reimbursement for costs associated with purchasing business development tools to help your practice assess the viability of a long term sustainable after hours business model.

To read more about after hour payments and to apply click HERE.