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GP News – Nov ’16

GP News – Nov ’16

Lady and daughter at after hours clinic
Are you registered for the After Hours practice incentive payment?

The After Hours Practice Incentive payment is administered through the Department of Human Services. To receive the incentive for after hours services the practice must be registered with the Department of Human Services.

Not registered?
Practices can register online. CLICK HERE for the after hours practice incentive application form (online or print option).

National Health Services Directory
Practices are required to provide their practice’s after hours’ arrangements to the National Health Services Directory. To provide your practice’s after hours’ arrangements, email: NHSDWebsite@healthdirect.org.au

Enquiries: Please contact Debra Clark or Renée Riddle (SNPHN After Hours Team) on ph: 9432 8250 or email afterhours@snhn.org.au

pregnant woman
Shared Antenatal Care GPs – updating details on the SNPHN website

If you’re a SAC GP, you were recently asked to complete an updated details and consent form for your information to be made public on the SNPHN website. GPs who did not return this form were removed from the publicly available shared antenatal care list. You can check this by visiting the SAC webpage and pressing ‘CLICK HERE to find a SAC GP’. If you would like to be reinstated on the list, please download the details form and return to SNPHN at your earliest convenience.

Australian Government Department of Health logo
Latest Department of Health updates

Australian Emergency Management Handbooks have been recommended by the Department of Health to support providers in refining their emergency plans. CLICK HERE for the Handbooks.

Ensure you are familiar with the evacuation policies and procedures with bushfire season upon us. The department has released the latest Evacuation Decision Guidelines for Private Health and Residential Care Facilities to guide your evacuation planning. CLICK HERE to access the information.

The department will be sending letters out to current Home Care Package recipients to inform them of the changes happening from 27th February 2017. If your client/patient has any questions about this letter please redirect them to their Home Care Package provider or alternatively please refer to the My Aged Care website.

Checking insulin
Type 2 diabetes and fatty liver study

Would a recently diagnosed patient of your practice with type 2 diabetes be interested in participating in a Macquarie University study on fatty liver?

Fatty liver refers to increased accumulation of fat in the liver. 70% of people with Type 2 diabetes have fatty liver, but most are not aware of it.

Criteria to participate in the study include:

  • Over 18 years of age
  • Recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
    Have not been treated for type 2 diabetes for long

Enquiries: please contact Dr Rafid Al-Ameri on 0477 450 355 or email rafidbadry@hotmail.com. Alternatively, please contact Macquarie GP clinic at Macquarie University Hospital.

CLICK HERE for the study flyer.

Lady in consult with GP
Integrative Health Care Model development and evaluation project

The University of South Australia, in partnership with Flinders University and Endeavour College, are embarking on an exciting new study that will examine the views and needs of Australian health consumers and healthcare providers in relation to integrative health care – a new approach to delivering health services to Australians by bringing together a broader range of services to better meet the needs of health consumers. Data from this multi-stage, mixed-method study will be used to develop a new healthcare service delivery model for primary care.

To ensure the model meets the needs of health consumers and healthcare providers, and has relevance to the Australian health care system, it is important that these groups be involved in the project. The study is a large national online survey of Australian health consumers’ and health care providers’ perspectives on the delivery of integrative health care in Australia.

Please note: participation in this study will be voluntary and all personal information will remain confidential at all times. Only those people who give their informed consent will be permitted to participate in the project. Participants also have the right to withdraw from the project at any time without reason.

Enquiries: If you have any questions or would like to receive more detailed information about the study, please go to the project website at www.time-project.net. Alternatively, you can email Dr Matthew Leach (Chief Investigator) at matthew.leach@unisa.edu.au or phone (08) 8302 2846.

youth mental health services
Drug and Alcohol Youth Treatment Services – needs analysis survey

The NSW Government has increased funding by $75 million over four years to tackle alcohol and other drug misuse in NSW communities. The new investment focuses on supporting more young people, more people into treatment, and more families. A key component of this package is $24 million over four years to help more young people.

Of this $24 million to help young people, $16 million over four years has been allocated to expanding access to youth detox and treatment services. In addition, the investment will include enhancements to medical workforce capacity.

The Ministry has developed a short survey to assist in development of youth detox and treatment services. The survey asks staff for their opinions on effective models of drug and alcohol service provision for young people in NSW, service gaps, priorities for under-served youth populations and how these should best be addressed.

The survey can be accessed at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YouthTreatmentServices

The survey will be open until Wednesday 30th November 2016.

For more information, please contact is Ms Laila Matar from NSW Ministry of Health, Policy Officer, Alcohol and Other Drugs, phone 9391 9377.

Australian College of Nursing wants to know your thoughts on their 2017 calendar

The Australian College of Nursing hosts CPD short courses nationally, informed from the learning needs identified by nurses.

We are in the process of planning our CPD calendar for 2017, and only want to schedule courses that are relevant and that reflect the current learning needs of the nursing workforce. Please complete this survey.

HIV testing resources from NSW Health

Data from NSW Health show that heterosexual people with HIV are more likely than homosexual men to be diagnosed with advanced HIV infection. A late diagnosis increases the risk of morbidity and mortality, and can contribute to ongoing HIV transmission before the person with HIV infection is aware of their HIV status.

And because many patients don’t realise they’re at risk of HIV, they don’t communicate potential risk behaviours that could prompt testing soon after exposure.

Around 40% of the HIV diagnoses in NSW are made by GPs like you, who may make one or two HIV diagnoses in their career.

To end HIV transmission in NSW by 2020, HIV testing has been made easier. Patient ‘informed consent’ is all that is required to test for HIV; pre-test counselling is no longer required. GPs also have the support of the NSW HIV Support Program who offer individual assistance to GPs at that critical time of making a diagnosis.

Recent advancements in HIV treatment mean that your patients with diagnosed HIV can enjoy significantly improved health outcomes and have near normal life expectancy.

As a health professional, you can:

  • Test all people with risk factors and strongly advise regular testing. A simple HIV Testing Table is available for reference.
  • Be proactive and offer an HIV test whether or not the patient is attending for sexual health reasons.
  • Be aware that patients may not disclose their sexuality or sexual preferences.
  • Work with patients who have tested HIV positive to determine who may be at risk and arrange for testing of contacts as soon as possible. A GP Contact Tracing Table is available for assistance in supporting your patients that have recently been diagnosed with HIV.

Other important resources and links:

Thank you for considering HIV testing among your patients – together, we can end HIV transmission in NSW by 2020.

CLICK HERE for more information on ending HIV, prevention, treatment and testing.

Lecture theatre
‘Doctors Leading Change’ livestream

The NSW Ministry of Health are hosting a ‘Doctors leading change’ breakfast session on Wednesday 7th December from 7.30am – 9.00am. While this event is fully subscribed, it is being streamed live via livestream.

The event is an opportunity to share knowledge and discuss innovative ideas to improve health care delivery and inspire change while driving quality improvement to support improving patient flow and access to care across the entire patient journey.

CLICK HERE to register.
Password: Doctors

NB: It can be streamed on handheld devices. Please register on Safari, Firefox or Google Chrome – the registration page doesn’t work with internet explorer.

CLICK HERE for more information.

University of Sydney want to know your thoughts on antibiotics and resistance

Researchers at the University of Sydney invite general practitioners to participate in an Australian-wide survey on antibiotic use and resistance. The aim of the survey is to explore practitioners’ attitudes towards antibiotic use and resistance, education and resource needs. The survey takes about 15-20 minutes. All participants in the survey will have a chance to win an iPad.

CLICK HERE to participate in the survey.

Responses are anonymous and confidential. Your views are important to this study.

For more information, contact dale.dominey-howes@sydney.edu.au or call +61 2 9351 6641.

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