For the purposes of this program, you must hold vocational recognition as a General Practitioner (VR GP) or be enrolled in a Fellowship pathway with either ACRRM or the RACGP and provide non-referred services - normally in a hospital theatre, maternity setting or other appropriately equipped facilities - which, in urban areas, are typically the province of a specific referral-based specialty. Most commonly this refers to the fields of surgery, anaesthetics, and obstetrics. Elements essential to procedural medicine include the use of appropriately equipped facilities and resources and involve a collaborative team of health professionals. The practitioner should also be engaged in an appropriate skills-maintenance program in the relevant procedural area(s).

A rural and remote emergency VR General Practitioner provide emergency medicine cover for non-referred services in an accident and emergency facility which is available for 24 hours triaging (hospital or other appropriately equipped facility - which provide a minimum equipment list of, but not restricted to: intubation, cannulation and defibrillation equipment), rapid diagnosis and management of the acute and urgent aspects of illness and injury such as those typically brought to the door by ambulance. It is recognised that in some remote communities, these services can be substituted at times by remote triage and retrieval.

Emergency medicine GPs undertaking rural hospital-based work can be eligible for this component.

To be eligible for the program VR GP locum doctors need to undertake a minimum of one month (28 days) of rural locum work per financial year in emergency, anaesthetics, obstetrics, or surgery.

Ineligible

• Specialists (even if they are also registered in the specialty of general practice)
• GPs seeking to attend training to attain skills to become a procedural or emergency medicine GP.  The program is only available to those who are already providing these services.
• GPs who undertake only minor procedural work in their rooms

You can view and edit your nominated bank details by logging into your MyCollege dashboard and clicking on the Edit Profile link, then Bank details.

For the purposes of this program, surgery refers to abdominal surgery (including appendectomy), gynaecological surgery (including dilatation and curettage, termination of pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, abdominal masses and cysts) requiring general anaesthetic, and endoscopy. Orthopaedics requiring major regional blocks or general anaesthetic including definitive treatment of fractures, dislocations and tendon repairs. The removal of simple cysts or aspiration of pleural effusions and skin surgery (including flap or graft repairs) are not covered under the RPGP.

Claims are reviewed by ACRRM’s grants team who assess the eligibility of the submitted activity. You will be contacted if more information is required. Once reviewed, you will receive an email advising the status of your claim. Once approved, they will be paid within a week.

Claims can be made for eligible activities attended during the previous and current financial year. The grant is paid from the financial year that the activity was attended in.

Claims can now be submitted for activities you attend overseas. Overseas activities must receive pre-approval from ACRRM and must not be available in Australia. 

The claim must include a certificate of participation that includes: 

• The number of days and hours of training
• Interactive sessions attended

Evidence the attended activity benefits procedural and/or emergency medicine skills maintenance and/or upskilling in the rural Australian medical context. 

Please complete this form to obtain pre-approval for your overseas course.  

All other eligibility requirements remain the same. Please review the RPGP guidelines for detailed information. 

ACRRM requests updated scope of clinical practice in order to confirm your ongoing eligibility of the program. ACRRM may also request Rosters showing participation in emergency or procedural work.  You must advise the ACRRM grants team of any changes to your eligibility status, and provide updated evidence to confirm your ongoing eligibility for the program.

When you move, or your work situation changes, ensure that you notify the ACRRM grants team at grants@acrrm.org.au as soon as possible. This means ACRRM can update your address for communications and RPGP eligibility requirements.