20 November 2009 GP mental health skills training
From 1 January 2010, a new schedule fee Medicare item of $125.95 will be introduced for GPs who have not undertaken accredited mental health skills training (previously known as Level 1 mental health training). The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing has developed a fact sheet with regards to these changes. The fact sheet is available at www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-ba-train.
Those GPs who have undertaken the training accredited by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) since the commencement of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program on 1 July 2001 will continue to be able to access the current schedule fee of $160.45 for developing a Mental Health Treatment Plan under MBS item 2710. While GPs who have not completed the training will still be able to refer patients to allied mental health professionals in line with current arrangements. However, they will access the lower schedule fee for doing so.
The RACGP’s online learning platform gplearning offers GPMHSC 2008–2010 accredited mental health skills training courses in bipolar, depression and psychosis. They are available free to RACGP members and nonmembers can subscribe. The course needs to be completed by 31 December 2009 to ensure registration with Medicare Australia is recorded as of 1 January 2010. Visit www.gplearning.com.au. A more detailed fact sheet from DoHA and the GPMHSC will be made available in the coming week outlining details regarding registration with Medicare. Please contact your state faculty office if you have any questions regarding any mental health training you have completed at www.racgp.org.au/qacpd/contacts.
M5 Project - RACGP men's health initiative helping men to help themselves
M5 encourages men and those who care about them to recognise the importance of men forming an ongoing relationship with a GP.
