Rural GP Locum Program

The National Rural Locum Program is an element of the 2009-2010 Rural Health Workforce Strategy and was developed to ensure rural doctors are able to obtain adequate time for rest and professional development. This program, funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, encompasses the Specialist Obstetrician Locum Scheme (SOLS), the General Practitioner Anaesthetists Locum Scheme (GPALS) and the Rural GP Locum Program (RGPLP).

Rural Health West, in partnership with Rural Health Workforce Australia, supports rural and remote general practitioners through the RGPLP.

How to apply

Host GP Eligibility

Host general practitioner (GP) eligibility is determined by Remoteness Area (RA) with the program directed at towns in RA 2-5. Further prioritisation is assessed at the discretion of the Rural Workforce Agency (RWA) with towns with solo or three or less GPs highly prioritised.

Locum Eligibility

To register for the RGPLP locum pool a locum must have unconditional medical board registration in any Australian State or Territory and be recognised as a GP for Medicare Benefits (i.e. Vocational Registration)

Potential locums are required to submit a short expression of interest through the national RGPLP website. The relevant RWA will then be notified by the database and will liaise directly with the locum.

Subsidies

The RGPLP will provide the GP host with the following locum subsidies for up to 14 days per GP host per financial year (pro rata) to offset the costs of engaging a bona fide locum:

$500 per placement for locum travel time. This subsidy must be passed on to the locum. To be eligible for this payment, the locum GP must have travelled more than two hours from his / her primary location to the host practice town.
A maximum of $500 per general practice day to a maximum of 14 days per GP host per financial year.
In addition, a maximum of $2,000 in RGPLP funding can be spent by the RWA on travel to or from the locum assignment, per GP host, per financial year. Any amount above this will be the GP host's responsibility.

Important: Subsidies are only payable once the GP Host and locum complete and return program evaluations.

Application

To apply to participate in this program, GP locums and GP hosts will need to either lodge their request or initiate contact through the national website. The national database will collect basic data and redirect the host to the RWA in their jurisdiction.

The GP host will be responsible for the following:

Assessing the potential locum for suitability to the practice.¹
Negotiating an agreement with the locum¹.
Engaging the locum either as an employee or independent contractor².
Undertaking referee checking and credentialing (if required).¹
Arranging, providing and paying for accommodation and transport for the locum³.
Providing written information for the locum prior to their commencement.¹
Providing a handover for the locum prior to their commencement.¹
Allowing a handover from the locum prior to their departure.¹
Completing an evaluation form before receiving subsidy.¹
Completing a subsidy reimbursement form.¹

Rural Health West will provide the following:

Initial assessment of locum suitability for the practice.
Verification of locum qualifications and Medical Board registration.
Coordination and verification of Medicare Provider Number(s).
Travel arrangements for the locum to and from host practice.
Orientation into general practice and cultural awareness in rural Western Australia where required.

How to claim subsidies and reimbursements

At the completion of the locum assignment, the GP host will receive a Host Locum Program Evaluation Form and a Subsidy Payment Advice Form from Rural Health West.

Under the Commonwealth funding agreement, subsidies are only payable once an evaluation has been completed and returned to the RWA.

It is the responsibility of the GP host to generate a Tax Invoice based on this Subsidy Payment Advice.

Please complete this advice and fax or post it, with your Tax Invoice, to Rural Health West on 08 6839 4501 or PO Box 433 Nedlands WA 6909. Payments are unable to be processed without your Tax Invoice.

Locum checklist for practices

To maximise the effectiveness of a locum placement, the following points should be discussed with the locum prior to the commencement of the assignment. Rural Health West advises that this should be done at least one week before the locum commences so that any confusion or misunderstanding can be clarified well in advance.

Clarify remuneration package and superannuation arrangements.
Outline practice consultation hours, hospital and home visits (if applicable) and on-call arrangements.
Clarify arrangements for payment for personal telephone calls/internet use.
Clarify use of a car for personal requirements, if a car is provided.
Advise locums if they are expected to provide any of their own equipment.
Confirm date and time of arrival with the locum. Where possible the locum should be met by the practice principal or a practice representative and taken to their accommodation.

It is the responsibility of the practice and the locum to ensure that the following have been completed and are in order before the locum provides services to a practice or hospital:

Hospital clinical privileges have been arranged and a Visiting Medical Practitioner (VMP) registration form has been completed, where required.
Rural Other Medical Practitioners (ROMPs) application forms have been completed.
A Medical Services Agreement (MSA) has been signed or the locum has become a nominated medical practitioner under an existing MSA.
A Western Australian Department of Health application for Non-Salaried Medical Practitioner’s Indemnity. Unless advised otherwise, this only needs to be completed once in a year’s contract.
A Medicare Provider Number has been issued for the location(s).
A Tax File Number declaration form is completed by the locum and given to the practice manager.
The locum has a current Medical Board of Western Australia registration, personal medical indemnity insurance and work rights in Australia.

Other points for consideration

Provide the locum with a list of doctors and specialists to whom the practice refers patients for treatment. This list should include allied health and laboratory services.
Provide information on arrangements for the treatment of hospital inpatients and nursing home residents.
Provide information on billing and record keeping procedures.
Ensure that the locum is orientated to the practice software.
Confine the locum’s workload to the usual services provided by the GP host.
Consider travel time when rostering a locum for weekend on-call. (Often locums are booked concurrently and may be required to travel great distances between assignments.)

To complete a Locum Registration Form click here.

For more information on the RGPLP please call the Rural Health West Recruitment Team on +61 8 6389 4500 or email Rural GP Locum Program.

This program is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing

Feedback

To assist Rural Health West to monitor the quality of its Locum Program, we ask that both locums and the practices using the booking system complete and return a short questionnaire at the end of each assignment. Practices are asked to complete the Host Locum Program Evaluation Form and to ensure the locum completes the Locum Program Evaluation Form.

^{1 & 2}	Rural Health West may provide an employed locum.
³	Rural Health West may provide funding for this.

Last updated November 2010

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