Strengthening Medicare General Practice Grants Program closes 30 June 2024
Did your general practice receive a Strengthening Medicare General Practice Grant last year? Time is running short to complete your required reporting. Read on to learn what you need to do and how we can help.
A one-off Commonwealth grant of up to $50,000, based on practice size, was paid in either the 2022-23 or 2023-24 financial year to support eligible general practices to expand patient access and support safe, and accessible, quality primary care.
**All funds awarded under the program must be spent by Sunday 30 June 2024 and acquitted by Wednesday 31 July 2024. **
What you need to do
At the close of the General Practice Grants Program on 30 June 2024, as per the funding agreement, practices who have claimed the funds are required to submit a financial acquittal report and a self-evaluation form to inform how the grant has been used and that the funding has been spent in accordance with the grant agreement. Eligible investment streams are outlined below.
If you have not yet spent all your funds: Please contact engagement@bsphn.org.au as soon as possible for assistance.
If you have spent& all your funds: To comply with your grant agreement, you must complete the following 2 forms as soon as possible and by no later than Wednesday 31 July 2024.
Eligible investment streams:
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Enhance digital health capability 
This includes IT hardware and software upgrades to fast-track the benefits of a more connected healthcare system in readiness to meet future standards. For example, increasing uptake of contemporary digital health solutions including video telehealth, secure data storage and interoperable software that supports seamless and secure communication of patient data. -
Upgrade infection prevention and control arrangements
This includes upgrades and infrastructure to ensure infectious respiratory disease (e.g., COVID-19, influenza) patients can be safely seen face-to-face. This may include increasing the general practices capacity to manage COVID-19 positive patients and patients presenting with other respiratory illnesses. -
Maintain and/or achieve accreditation
This is accreditation in line with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Standards for General Practice under the General Practice Accreditation Scheme, to promote quality and safety in general practice.
View a list of eligible expenditure items under each of the investment streams, or contact engagement@BSPHN.org.au for assistance.
Key dates for your reference
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Application documents were emailed to eligible general practices on 21 April 2023.
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Program Closes on Sunday 30 June 2024. All funds must be spent by this date.
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Participating practices are required to submit a Financial Acquittal Report (FAR) and self-evaluation form by no later than Wednesday 31 July 2024.
Frequently asked questions:
Q: Do I need to submit evidence (receipts etc) with my Financial Acquittal Report (FAR)?
A: Grant recipients do not need to submit tax invoices/receipts or other evidence of their investment activity to your Primary Health Network (PHN). However, grant recipients must keep accurate records and proof of investments on how their practice has used the grant. This includes tax invoices, receipts, and/or other written evidence of investment activities undertaken (for example, relevant staff timesheets, training certificates, relevant meeting records).
In line with the Australian Taxation Office record-keeping rules for business, grant recipients should also retain these records for the general 5-year retention period. If a grant recipient is randomly selected for compliance activities, they will be required to submit relevant records directly to the Department. In all instances, grant recipients should keep receipts and appropriate records of grant expenditure.
Q: Will I be required to show proof of spending at a later date?
A: In line with the Australian Taxation Office record-keeping rules for business, grant recipients should also retain these records for the general 5-year retention period.
If a grant recipient is randomly selected for compliance activities, they will be required to submit relevant records directly to the Department. In all instances, grant recipients should keep receipts and appropriate records of grant expenditure.
Q: What do I do if I haven’t spent all my grant money?
A: If you have unspent funds, please contact engagement@BSPHN.org.au as soon as possible to discuss options for spending your remaining funds. As per your grant agreement, funds must be spent by 30 June 2024 and acquitted prior to 31 July 2024.
Please reach out to Brisbane South PHN regarding unspent funds prior to completing the online Financial Acquittal Report (FAR).
Q: Why can’t I enter funding allocation in the FAR under both ‘maintaining’ and ‘achieving’ accreditation?
A: Grant funds can be used for either maintaining or achieving accreditation. It is not possible for grant funds to be spent in both categories. The online FAR will only allow the recipient to specify funding under either category.
More information
- Contact us via engagement@bsphn.org.au.
- View the detailed eligible expenditure list .