Health Workforce Program - Rural Health Outreach Fund

Overview

The Australian Government has committed $4.092 million (GST exclusive) over two years from 2019-2021 to expand additional specialist pain management services being delivered through the Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF). These new services will reduce inappropriate prescribing (and resulting harms) and also improve the chronic pain impacts being experienced by regional, rural and remote areas of Australia and to undertake upskilling of primary care providers in these areas to improve prescribing habits and awareness of appropriate pain management treatment.The objectives of the grant opportunity are to:• support additional specialist pain management services being delivered through the RHOF with service delivery to be prioritised to those areas showing the highest rates of opioid prescriptions; • reduce inappropriate prescribing (and resulting harms); • reduce the chronic pain impacts being experienced by patients in regional, rural and remote communities; and• improve the awareness of appropriate pain management strategies by primary care providers in regional, rural and remote areas through the development and dissemination of new training resources (including online information and education).