Are you interested in supporting the community by becoming a General Practice Respiratory Clinic (GPRC)?
North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) is seeking Expressions of Interest’s (EOI) from accredited general practices in priority local government areas (LGAs) to rapidly establish GP respiratory clinics (GPRCs) that have assessment, testing and initial treatment support capabilities.
Background
Increasing COVID-19 cases in Victoria has highlighted the critical role of primary care in reducing demand on hospitals, including presentations to emergency departments (EDs) for respiratory-type symptoms.
The Victorian Government and Victorian Primary Health Networks are collaborating to support more Victorians to access respiratory assessments and COVID-19 testing and care close to where they live.
Twenty new GPRCs will be rapidly set up across metropolitan Melbourne to support people of all ages with respiratory symptoms to access a comprehensive respiratory assessment (including COVID-19 testing) and receive immediate support in management of their illness. Services will be available to those with or without a Medicare card, at no cost to the patient, with the fit for purpose facility open after hours. GPRCs are anticipated to provide service until 30 June 2022.
This document seeks Expressions of Interest (EOI) from accredited general practices in priority local government areas to rapidly establish GP respiratory clinics that have assessment, testing and initial treatment support capabilities. Accredited general practices and community health services with GPs may express their interest in participating in the program as per the guidelines below.
This EOI is intended to identify individual general practices capable of participating in this program. An EOI should be completed for each individual practice location.
What is involved?
Set up costs
A one-off initial payment to cover the cost of setting up facilities, including minor works, procurement of equipment, consumables and other essential establishment costs up to $150,000 excluding GST (subject to PHN review and approval).
Monthly payments
Monthly operational payments of $109,794.00 excluding GST to cover staffing related costs, consumables and facility running costs. (NB: clinic to claim MBS item numbers in addition). These payments are also to cover those patients without a Medicare card. All GPRC services must be bulk billed.
Indicative timetable
This EOI closes at 5.00pm on Tuesday 9 November 2021. A market briefing will be held on 3 November. If required, interviews will be conducted over the following week, concluding Wednesday 17th November 2021 (times to be confirmed). The purpose of the interviews will be to discuss and clarify the information included in the applications.
Due to the very short timeframe for this project we hope to notify the successful applicants as soon as possible after the interviews. We will aim to complete contracts so that services can be operational by Monday 6th December 2021.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in due course following the appointment of successful ones.
How to apply
Please complete the application form and specification checklist available on our website and below and email it to tenders@nwmphn.org.au
This EOI closes at 11:59pm on Tuesday 9th November 2021.
Documents:
GPRC EOI- Specifications Checklist
GPRC EOI Standard Standalone Service Agreement
Please direct all queries about this EOI to tenders@nwmphn.org.au and we will answer them here. Queries via phone will not be accepted and callers will be instructed to email tenders@nwmphn.org.au.
Updated opening hours specifications
A market briefing was held on Wednesday 3 November as part of the tender process for this EOI. There was strong feedback that the specification to be open 16 hours per day, 7 days per week would not be a viable option for many services. Based on this feedback NWMPHN have amended the tender specifications with support to the following:
Operating up to 16 hours per day (8am to 12am or 7am to 11pm), 7 days a week until 30 June 2022. The key requirement is the clinics are open outside of normal business hours. Clinics should be able to demonstrate that they can operate outside of usual business hours on week days and operate on weekends. It is recognised that clinics may not commence operating a full 16 hours a day, but could ramp up to this depending on demand.
Updated tender documents have now been published on our website.
We have published answers in the document below to any questions we received during the market briefing session.
GPRC EOI – Market Briefing Questions
Q&A
Q: Could you please confirm whether the GPRC site needs to be on the grounds of an RACGP Accredited Practice site or whether utilisation of another site is possible, provided the GPRC is operated and governed by an RACGP Accredited Practice?
A: Utilisation of a new site, operated and governed by an RACGP Accredited Practice, will be considered. It will need to be deemed suitable through the IPC audit that will be conducted of sites that are shortlisted.
Q: Will the webinar be recorded, and the link sent to our email?
A: Yes, the webinar will be recorded and added to the resource library on the NWMPHN website.
Q: Is a registered nurse always required on site? Or can an enrolled nurse be used in support of the registered nurse to allow for longer operating hours?
A: The minimum staffing required for the GPRC is a specialist GP, a registered nurse and an administrative staff member. Additional staff may also be used to support these staff if scaling up of services is required.
Q: Can a GP work in the medical GP clinic & the respiratory clinic on the same day?
A: Providing appropriate IPC controls are managed, a GP can work in the GPRC and another clinic on the same day. The GPRC should consider the role of surveillance testing of staff in this case.
