This initiative funds general practitioners (GPs) to attend up to 100 Victorian government secondary schools up to one day a week. The GPs provide medical advice and health care to those students most in need.
The objectives of the program are to:
- make primary health care more accessible to students
- provide assistance to young people to identify and address any health problems early
- reduce the pressure on working parents.
We have engaged Victoria’s six Primary Health Networks (PHNs) to lead the engagement of medical centres, GPs and practice nurses (PNs) to work in the program in select secondary schools across metro and non-metro Victoria.
All secondary school students enrolled in a participating school will be able to access an adolescent-health trained GP, subject to providing the required consent for the services. Participating schools, students and their parents/carers will not incur any out-of-pocket expenses for student consultations with the GP.
Participating schools will receive funding to enable their staff to support program coordination and training.
How secondary schools were selected
There were 166 Victorian government secondary schools invited to lodge an application. Schools with the highest student family occupation and education index were targeted, with consideration also given to schools in areas with limited access to a GP.
There were 135 applications received. Each application was evaluated based on the schools' responses to key selection criteria, with schools asked to demonstrate the specific health and wellbeing needs of their student population, their capacity and willingness to build community relationships and their long-term commitment to student health and wellbeing.
Consent and confidentiality policy
The program’s consent and confidentiality policy was developed in consultation with experts including: the Australian Medical Association, the Australian Education Union, Parents Victoria and the Victorian Association of Secondary School Principals.
Consistent with Australian common law, the program recognises that:
Families with children at participating schools will be informed about the program at the start of the year, with detailed fact sheets.
Timeline
The program has a phased rollout. The first 20 schools commenced participation in the first half of 2017, a further 40 from Term 3, 2017, and the final 40 from Term 1, 2018.
The program is being rolled out progressively around the state from the first half of 2017. In selecting the first 20 schools to participate in the program, priority has been given to those schools that scored highly in the expression of interest process and who had an existing partnership with a local health service to provide a GP. Consideration has also been given to ensuring geographic spread, metro/regional/rural distribution and coverage across each of the six Primary Health Networks.
First 20 secondary schools commenced participation from term 1 2017
- Ballarat Secondary College - Wendouree Campus
- Boronia K-12 College - Rangeview Campus
- Brauer Secondary College
- Craigieburn Secondary College
- Crusoe 7-10 Secondary College
- Kyneton Secondary College
- Monterey Secondary College
- Mount Alexander 7-12 College
- Mount Clear College
- Narre Warren South P-12 College
- Oakwood School - Noble Park Campus
- Pakenham Secondary College
- Portland Secondary College
- Rosebud Secondary College
- Sunbury College
- Traralgon College - East Campus
- Upper Yarra Secondary College
- Wedderburn College
- Whittlesea College
- Yarrawonga College P-12 - Pinniger Street Campus
40 Secondary schools commenced participation from term 3 2017
- Alexandra Secondary College
- Ararat Secondary College
- Bairnsdale Secondary College
- Bayside P-12 College – Paisley Campus
- Beaufort Secondary College
- Benalla P-12 College – Barkley Street Campus
- Braybrook College
- Carrum Downs Secondary College
- Charles La Trobe P-12 College
- Copperfield College
- Cranbourne Secondary College
- Dandenong High School
- Drouin Secondary College
- Eaglehawk Secondary College
- Geelong High School
- Gleneagles Secondary College
- Glenroy Secondary College
- Healesville High School
- Keysborough Secondary College – Acacia Campus
- Kurnai College – Morwell Campus
- Lalor North Secondary College
- Laverton P-12 College
- Manor Lakes P-12 College
- Maryborough Education Centre
- McClelland Secondary College
- Melton Secondary College
- Newcomb Secondary College
- Noble Park Secondary College
- North Geelong Secondary College
- Patterson River Secondary College
- Phoenix P-12 Community College
- Red Cliffs Secondary College
- Roxburgh College
- Sale College – Macalister Campus Seymour College
- Seymour College
- Shepparton High School
- St Albans Secondary College
- The Grange P-12 College
- Wallan Secondary College
- Wodonga Senior Secondary College
Final 40 secondary schools commencing participation from term 1 2018
- Bacchus Marsh College
- Bayswater Secondary College
- Camperdown College
- Casterton Secondary College
- Colac Secondary College
- Cranbourne East Secondary College
- Croydon Community School
- Footscray City College
- Fountain Gate Secondary College
- Hallam Senior Secondary College
- Heywood District Secondary College
- Horsham College
- Hume Central Secondary College – Town Park Campus
- Irymple Secondary College
- Keilor Downs Secondary College
- Kerang Technical High School
- Kurunjang Secondary College
- Lavers Hill P-12 College
- Lyndale Secondary College
- Maffra Secondary College
- McGuire College
- Melba Secondary College
- Merbein P-10 College
- Mornington Secondary College
- Mount Ridley P-12 College
- Neerim District Secondary College
- Numurkah Secondary College
- Ouyen P-12 College
- Reservoir High School
- Robinvale College (interim name)
- Rutherglen High School
- Scoresby Secondary College
- St Arnaud Secondary College
- Swan Hill College
- Swifts Creek P-12 School
- Victoria University Secondary College – Brimbank Campus
- Warragul Regional College
- Weeroona College Bendigo
- Wodonga Middle Years College – Huon Campus
- Yarra Hills Secondary College – Mooroolbark Campus
How general practices can get involved
General practices interested in becoming part of the program can contact their local Primary Health Network (PHN) to get further information on the process for becoming involved.
The role of PHNs is to:
- engage local medical centres to engage, manage and monitor GPs and practice nurses in their catchment
- support participating GP and PN training and ongoing professional development to help ensure a youth-friendly service is being provided
- promoting best practice care by integrating GPs and PNs in school clinics, with community-based primary care services
- facilitating GPs and PNs' training and ongoing professional development.
Requirements for medical centres, general practitioners and practice nurses
Medical centres
Interested medical centres are required to be accredited against the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Standards for General Practice
Accredited practices or those registered for accreditation are encouraged to apply. Practices are required to provide bulk billing services for students, have a medical software program and have, or are willing to have a clinical audit tool installed to record and report data.
GPs and PNs will be expected to undertake online and face-to-face training in adolescent health.
General practitioners
The program requires GPs:
- with a medical degree and licence to practice in Australia
- to have an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration with no restriction on scope of practice
- who have experience working in a multi-disciplinary team
Experience in child and adolescent health, mental health and drug and alcohol services is desirable.
Practice nurse
The program is also seeking practice nurses (qualified and registered as division 1), with an AHPRA registration and no restrictions on scope of practice in Australia. The Department is interested in nurses who have competency and experience in adolescent health and development, primary health care, community health, mental health, public health and/or health promotion.
These nurses will need to be employed by a medical clinic engaged by the relevant PHN.
Express your interest
To find out more or to express your interest in providing a GP and PN for a school in your area, please contact:
If you don't know which PHN your practice falls under, please refer to the PHN Map locator:
Primary Health Network map locator