Primary Health Networks Program: After Hours Funding Grant Opportunity

Overview

The PHN After Hours grant opportunity provides PHNs with grant funding to address gaps in after hours primary health service arrangements and improve service integration within their regions.  The objectives of the grant opportunity are to: commission services to deliver after hours primary health care in areas where there are limited or no after hours services available in the local community through addressing priority service gaps in the PHN region; identify and support sustainable solutions to ensure people living in residential aged care have appropriate access to after hours primary care; identify and support services for vulnerable groups where it is demonstrated that there are physical, geographic or other barriers to accessing after hours primary care services; and promote coordination between services at a local level and support local service providers in having the skills and systems to provide effective after hours care that integrates with a patient’s usual primary care provider. The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are to: increase the efficiency and effectiveness of after hours primary health care for patients, particularly those with limited access to health services; improve access to after hours primary health care through effective planning, coordination and support for population based after hours primary health care; and improve the availability of after hours general practice services through working collaboratively with general practitioners. To improve continuity of care, PHNs should commission services that: directly support general practices to deliver after hours care; and/ or  include systems and processes to strengthen links between after hours providers and a patient’s regular general practice.