Better health and ageing for all Australians

General Practice After Hours Program

This section of the website contains information on Australian Government competitive grant funding for after hours GP services under the General Practice After Hours (GPAH) Program.

In this section:

The GPAH program aims to ensure that as many people as possible have access to quality after hours GP services when they need them. It does this by providing grants to help support the viability of services working in the after hours period, which is generally defined as before 8.00am and after 6.00pm weekdays; before 8.00am and after 12.00pm Saturday; and all day Sunday and Public Holidays.

Funding targets areas of community need for after hours GP services and assists with the establishment of new after hours services, or the maintenance or extension of existing services.

Around 60 GPAH grants will be offered in the 2011-12 funding round. GPAH grants will be allocated only in those regions where Medicare Locals have not yet been established. GP organisations located within the boundaries of the first tranche of Medicare Locals announced in June 2011 were not eligible to apply.

Assessment of Round 4 Applications – (2011-12 round)
Applications for the 2011-12 funding round of the General Practice After Hours Program closed on the 19 August 2011. The Department is currently assessing all submissions against the selection criteria outlined in the 2011-12 Program Guidelines. All applicants will be formally notified of the outcome in writing by December 2011.

Policy Context
As part of the 2010-11 Budget, the Government announced the ‘Establishing Medicare Locals and Improving Access to After Hours Care’ measure which includes the establishment of a national after hours GP telephone advice service and the introduction of new funding arrangements through Medicare Locals to support the provision of face-to-face after hours primary care services at the local level.

Following the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Heads of Agreement on Health Reform, the establishment of Medicare Locals was brought forward. The first tranche of Medicare Locals was announced in June 2011 and commenced operational services in July 2011. A further tranche will be established by 1 January 2012 and the remainder by 1 July 2012.

Medicare Locals will be funded to identify and fill priority gaps in after hours primary care in their region. Overtime, Medicare Locals will develop regional solutions to meet the after hours primary care needs of their population and find services that best meet local requirements. These services will be integrated through a national health services directory with the after hours GP telephone advice service that have been operational from 1 July 2011.

In line with the establishment of Medicare Locals and their role in planning and supporting local after hours services, funding under the GPAH program will be phased out. Commonwealth funding currently available under the GPAH program will be redirected to after hours services through new Medicare Locals.

    The Commonwealth will honour all current GPAH funding agreements to the end of existing contractual arrangements.

    Inquiries about the provision of after hours care in local communities should be forwarded to your Medicare Local. A list of Medicare Locals and their contact numbers may be accessed at www.yourhealth.gov.au.

    GPAH Inquiries
    Successful Round 4 applicants will be contacted directly by the Department. Existing grantees requiring assistance should refer to the Department’s contact officer listed at Item G of the Funding Agreement.

    GPAH Information
    Further information about the GPAH Program and the Round 4 process can be found in the documentation attached below.
    Grants Reporting
    From 1 January 2009, the Department of Health and Ageing has been required to report grants within seven (7) days of their execution. In accordance with this mandatory reporting requirement, successful applicants will have the following details published on the Department’s website; www.health.gov.au; within seven days of execution of their Funding Agreement: