The Federal Government is finalising the application process for rural and regional GPs to obtain grants of up to $300,000.
The Government has set aside $52 million for GPs, to allow them to improve infrastructure at their surgeries so they can train more medical students.
The fund will allow 175 practices across Australia to receive money but they will have to match the federal funding.
O’Connor MP Rick Wilson says he has had strong interest from GPs in his electorate and hopes they will be able to apply for the funding later this year.
“The dollar amount has been allocated in the budget, so I think it’s a matter of fine-tuning the application details and then it’ll be open to people to apply as soon as possible,” he said.
He says it is too soon to assess whether the funds will be sufficient for all regional areas.
“We’ll see once we have applications in and see whether it’s fully subscribed,” he said.
“I assume it will be fully subscribed.
“I’ve already had several GPs within the electorate contact me about their eligibility and I’ve had a response that certainly a couple that have contacted me certainly fit the criteria.”
The application process is expected to open later this year.