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• February 2012
• CPD Flyers



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The latest release made available on Friday 20th January 2012 has been found to affect the Next of Kin data in Pracsoft ONLY.

Practices who have installed the 3.12.1a update are advised to contact the HCN Support Helpdesk on 1300 788 002 for assistance with restoring your data.

If you have downloaded the file but have not yet installed the update, delete the file and wait for the replacement update.

HCN has advised that a patch will be made available in the next 2-3 days.

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Relieving GP Liaison Midwife
From the 13th January, Audrey Lee (GP Liaison Midwife – RPAH and The Canterbury Hospital) will be taking long-service leave. Her position will be relieved by RPAH Midwife Clare Jordan. Her contact details are: ph 0425 230 662 (same as before) or email: clare.jordan@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

On the 1st January 2012, the new Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011 came into effect. Under this new legislation there are changes to the obligations of employers and workers, as well as some changes to codes of practice and consultation processes. It is important to note that if a person or business had obligations under the previous legislation, they will continue to have similar obligations under the new legislation.

New codes of practice have been implemented to assist businesses to implement the changes. Some codes of practice which may be applicable to general practice include:

• How to manage work health and safety risks
• Managing the work environment and facilities
• Work health and safety consultation, co-operation and co-ordination

More information about the specific changes under the new legislation and transitional arrangements can be found on the Workcover NSW and Safe Work Australia websites.

CSGPN will be holding an education event on Tuesday 7th February at 6.30pm on the topic of Workplace Health and Safety with a representative from Workcover NSW. For more information, download the event flyer or to register online visit the Events page.

From 1 January 2012, GPs can refer Aboriginal patients with a diagnosable mental health disorder to Vanessa at Weave. Patients of all ages, who identify as Aboriginal, are eligible to access these services at no cost. Referrals are made as per usual arrangements via contacting CSGPN administration to obtain a unique ATAPS number, this entitles a patient to up to 6 individual/group services per referral with a maximum of 12 individual and 12 group sessions available per calendar year.

We are also working closely with our Closing the Gap team through this arrangement to assist individuals who do not currently have a GP to access culturally appropriate primary healthcare services.

GPs who are not yet registered for ATAPS are still able to do so by completing an induction (practice visit) with Mano (ATAPS project officer). To arrange a practice visit, contact Mano on 8752 4907.

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There a number of Mental Health Skills Training (MHST) activities available to GPs, as well as a Focussed Psychological Skills (FPS) training course and a FPS-CPD (former Level 2 ongoing) course.

BDI_Randwick_Workshops_-_Feb_to_June_2012.pdf

For further information on the Black Dog Institute’s training calendar and programs on offer please refer to their website. If you have specific queries regarding their workshops please contact their Education Project Officer .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 9382 8518

This training is being offered online at no cost to medical practiitioners from 20 February - 16 March 2012. Further details of the online course are outlined in the attached flyer.

February12.pdf

Please direct all enquiries about the Opioid Treatment Accreditation Course to the course coordinator, Anna Janssen: Ph 02 9036 9406 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The Gillard Government today announced a new hotline for women concerned about their breast implants.The new service has been set up following concerns from France over PIP breast implants.  While there is no evidence of increased rupture rates here in Australia, support is available for women who want more information.

Women who have had breast implants and are concerned should ring the Breast Implant Information Line on Ph: 1800 217 257 or contact their surgeon directly for clinical advice. For women who require further follow up, clinical and radiological investigations will be covered under the usual Medicare arrangements.

“Australian women can be reassured that our experts advise that on the basis of current data available there is no evidence of increased rupture rates for PIP implants in Australia,” Acting Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon said.

“The Breast Implant Information Line will operate 24 hours a day from today, to provide advice and support. This government service will also register women’s contact details so follow up information can be provided if necessary.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Catherine King said the TGA had only received 37 reports of ruptured PIP implants since 2000, representing 0.4% of PIP implants and was well within the international evidence of implant rupture rates.

“These figures remain within the expected risk of rupture but given concerns in Europe regarding this product, we recommend that women see their surgeons if they are concerned or require further advice.”

“Obviously the TGA will continue to keep a close watch on this situation and further information will be provided if more information becomes available.”

The TGA is contacting all Australian surgeons who have used the PIP implants to ask that they provide a clinical evaluation to their patients.

For all media enquiries please contact the Minister’s Office on 0409 945 476.

The 24 hours Breast Implant Information Line, Ph: 1800 217 257

For full TGA advice please visit http://www.tga.gov.au/safety/alerts-device-breast-implants-120104.htm

STIGMA Newsletter

TGA report on Pneumovax 23 following batch recall March 2011.

Dealing with complex immunisation consultations.

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In response to the huge amount of misinformation out there about cancer and the confusion it brings, the Cancer Council has launched a new website, iheard.com.au, to help dispel the myths.

iheard.com.au provides a simple way for the increasing number of Australians searching online to check the validity of claims made about cancer. Visitors can post questions with links to videos or articles about cancer and experts will provide evidence-based answers.

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• December 2011



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As of 1 July 2012 there a a number of changes that will directly impact on families with small children. The incentive payments will be $2100 per child. To aviod any distress to either parents and your practice, please ensure all immunisation records are up to date.

The only way to do this is to clean your immunisation records using a GPII20A report. If your practice is not recieving this please contact CSGPN to find out how Fact sheet for Immunisation changes as of 1 July 2012.

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Further information regarding Postnatal Depression including available support services and resources can be found by visiting some of these websites:

• BeyondBlue
• Gidget Foundation
• PANDA : Post and Antenatal Depression Association Inc

ANSC information regarding Perinatal Mental Health Services and resources can be found by accessing the following information:

• SLHD Perinatal Mental Health Referral Flowchart
• SLHD Psychosocial Referral Form (June 2011):to ensure referral is received phone PMH 9515 5873 or GP Liaison Midwife 0425 230 662
• Edinburgh Depression Scale - Assessment of Perinatal Depressive Illness
• Access To Allied Professional Services (ATAPS) overview : Referral to Perinatal Depression Stream
• Local Perinatal Mental Health Referral Contacts
• St John of God Hospital: Mental Health Services: Mother and baby unit

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• November 2011 | November flyers 2011



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The Department of Health and Ageing has developed fact sheets outlining these changes for both GPs and Allied Mental Health Professionals utilising the Better Access Inititative.

The factsheet for GPs outlines the changes to MBS item numbers based on both time spent developing plan and level of mental health skills training undertaken by the GP.
FACT_SHEET_-_Changes_to_rebates_for_GP_Mental_Health_Treatment_Plans2011.10_.28_.pdf

The factsheet for Allied Mental Health Professionals outlines the changes to sessions available per calendar year for patients referred by their GP or psychiatrist under a Mental Health Treatment Plan from 1 Novemebr 2011.
FACT_SHEET_-_Allied_mental_health_services_2011.10_.28_.pdf

Please note: Patients who have already received 10 MBS rebated sessions this calendar year under a Mental Health Treatment Plan will not be eligible for further rebated sessions (after 1 November 2011) until 1 January 2012.

RPAH has changed the criteria for the diagnosis of miscarriage at early pregnancy scans.

Further information is included in memo from Dr Joanne Ludlow ( Lead Consultant : EPAS Clinic RAPH) as well as the new EPAS Flowchart to reflect these recommendations. 

Access the Journal article: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2011 which has determined the need to change the criteria.

For those of you who currently or plan to use the DVA’s Coordinated Veterans Care Program. AGPN/APNA is offering online training and resources for GPs and practice nurses implementing the New Coordinated Veterans’ Care Program.

Click here for more information.

Hesta and ME Bank are proud to present the 2012 Australian Nursing Awards to recognise the achievements of nurses in Australia. There are three categories designed to cover the wide range of nurses and skills exhibited throughout the profession. The categories for nomination are:

• Graduate Nurse of the Year
• Innovation in Nursing
• Nurse of the Year

Patients, carers, colleagues and nurses themselves can submit their nominations for an outstanding individual or team with nominations closing on Tuesday 28th February 2012. Everyone nominated will recieve a certificate in acknowledgement of their nomination and finalists will recieve 2 tickets to attend the Gala Dinner in Melbourne on 10th May 2012. The winners will share in $30,000 worth of prizes from ME Bank with Graduate Nurse and Nurse of Year winning a $5,000 online savings account and $5,000 toward continuing education. The Innovation in Nursing winner will recieve $10,000 toward implementing their program or initiative.

For more information on the awards or to nominate, visit Hesta Australian Nursing Awards website.

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The NSW Ministry of Health has just released new guidelines that provide direction regarding the management of pregnant women who report decreased fetal movements in the third trimester.

Access a) Complete guidelines :Maternity-Decreased fetal movements in the third trimester b) Extract from the guidelines “Summary of strategies for management of pregnant women who present with DFM in third trimester of pregnancy” c) RPA Women and Babies patient brochure “Baby’s movements:One way to check on your baby” ( July 2011)

Based on these guidelines, GPs are reminded to send a woman to the hospital’s Labour Ward or Birthing Unit if she is concerned about her baby’s reduced movements for further assessment, even though a fetal heart may be heard with the Doppler.

RPAH would like to conduct a randomised controlled trial examining the maternal outcomes of treatment versus no treatment with Thyroxine of women with subclinical hypothyroidism detected in the first trimester of pregnancy. Further information regarding the study can be accessed from the Information sheet.

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Antenatal Shared Care GPs who have attended the introductory information session through the Central Sydney GP Network on “options of prenatal screening/testing” can refer women directly to the Fetal Medicine Unit at RPA Women and Babies for nuchal transclucency screening.

The next Genetic Counselling session ” First Trimester Screening : its not a routine test” is planned for Thursday 17th November 7.00-8.30pm. If you would like to attend, please contact Karen Wheeler.

In this week’s ‘Friday Facts’ the RACGP has released the below statement:
“The Mental Health Senate Inquiry will release its findings report next Friday, 21 October, regarding the proposed cuts to the Better Access program – cuts that will affect an estimated 1 million patients per annum. The College is currently reviewing a number of alternative funding models for practices to consider, should the College’s strong advice presented in front of the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs in August 2011 not be reflected in the soon-to-be released report. Alternative funding models will be published in next week’s edition of Fridayfacts.”

The proposed cuts refer to the reduced rebate for MBS Items 2702, 2710, 2712 and 2713. The Department of Health and Ageing is proposing to use the savings from this cut to fund ‘Flexible Care Packaes’ or ‘Care Coordination’ roles from 2011-12 financial year.

CSGPN will keep GPs updated on the outcome of the Senate Inquiry and any changes to MBS Items for Mental Health care by general practitioners.

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Applications for the new Practice Nurse Incentive Program (PNIP) which will commence from 1st January 2012 are now being accepted. The application form can be downloaded from the Medicare PNIP website or accessed via the Health Professional Online Service (HPOS).

The new PNIP is aimed at assisting practices with the costs of employing a practice nurse and expanding their role working in general practice. Payments are calculated based on the practice SWPE value and the current number of nurse working hours. A ready reckoner has been established to help practices determine their potential payments under the program which can be accessed by clicking here.

Incentive payments are only available to practices who are either accredited or undergoing accreditation. Unaccredited practices who employ a nurse may be eligible for a one-off $5000 payment to undergo accreditation.

Grandparenting arrangements will be in place until 31st December 2014 to ensure that no practice will be disadvantaged under the new funding model. All practices who employ a nurse can apply for top-up payments if they believe they will be disadvantaged.

Important dates to remember:

• 1st January 2012- 6 MBS nurse items and the current Practice Nurse Incentive will be removed. Applications for the new PNIP will begin undergoing assessment.
• 31st January 2012- Practice seeking the Feburary payment must have submitted their application by this date.
• 30th June 2012- Practices seeking grandparenting payments must have their application submitted by this date. No applications for grandparenting arrangements will be accepted after this date.

For more information on the program, visit the Medicare PNIP website or call Gabby (gpilgrim@csgpn.com.au) on 8752 4937 or Julie (jmclean@csgpn.com.au) on 8752 4905.

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• October 2011 | October flyers 2011

The Fintuition Institute is an education provide in the medical community and specialises in Practice, Financial and Lifestyle Management. Their Private Practice ‘Comprehensive’ course provides participants an opportunity to understand and manage the variety of challenges faced when opening and managing a medical practice. For more information about the Fintuition Institute, visit The Private Practice website or download the course information brochure here.

The Fintuition Institute “Comprehensive” course is normally valued at $1595 however we have 10 complimentary registrations available to CSGPN members and an additional 9 members can take advanatage of an exclusive 50% discount on registration fees. Please note, this offer is only available to one person per practice and is aimed at both practice managers and principal GP’s.

If you would like to take advantage of this exclusive offer, please register your expression of interest to Gabby on 8752 4937 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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The Coordinated Veteran’s Care (CVC) program was launched on 1st May 2011 and is aimed at reducing the unexpected hospitalisation DVA Gold Card holders. The new program is open to patients who:

• hold a current DVA Gold Card
• live in the community
• have been diagnosed with one or more chronic disease conditions
• have a complex care needs
• requires a complex treatment regimen
• provides consent to participate in the program

There are no consent forms to be completed however the GP must assess the eligibility and the suitability of patients to enrol in the program and this must be documented in the patient medical record. Once a patient is enrolled in the program, the GP will be responsible for developing a comprehensive coordinated care program and to manage the ongoing care coordination of the patient.

The following incentives will be available to GP who sign up for the program through current claiming arrangements with Veteran’s Affairs Processing at Medicare.

• For practices with a practice nurse:
• Initial sign-on payment of $400
• Quarterly care payments of $417.50

• For practices without a practice nurse:
• Initial sign-on payment of $250
• Quarterly care payments of $187.50

The program will be supported by training modules and resources available on the CVC Program website. For more information you can download a copy of the CVC Guide for General Practice or contact the CVC Provider Helpline on 1300 550 597.

The PCOS Australian Alliance and Jean Hailes Foundation have developed the worlds first guidelines for the diagnosis and management of polycystic ovary syndrome (approved by NHMRC). To access the guidelines click here.

The Central Sydney Practice Manager Network is an opportunity for practice managers within the CSGPN area to interact with one another and share ideas about contemporary practice management issues. It would also be an opportunity to discuss amongst the group different management strategies, new approaches and changes to practice management as well as sharing new skills amongst the group and identifying people who understand your role. It is a great opportunity to build relationships and friendships with other like-minded people and is planned to grow to include practice managers from all areas of the health industry.

The first meeting of the Central Sydney Practice Manager’s Network will be held at the CSGPN office on Tuesday 20th September at 6.30pm and a light meal will be provided. Angela Mason-Lynch, NSW AAPM president, will be on-hand to welcome everyone with a presentation on the Importance of Networking and Developing your Contacts by Fiona Kolokas. To help us provide you with the information you want, it would be great if you could fill out this short questionnaire

All completed questionnaires can be sent to either Gabby at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or Fiona at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to Gabby on 8752 4937 or via email.

New guidelines for the prevention, detection and management of chronic heart failure in Australia
To download the Guidelines click here or alternatively we have a small number of hard copy versions available.

Addendum to the 2006 guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes
To download the guidelines click here or alternatively we have a small number of hard copy versions available.

Please contact Julia Thompson on 8752 4928 for more information or to receive a copy.

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This is a free health coaching phone service providing participants with up to 10 free phone cansultations over 6 months with a designated health coach. Inluded in the package is a health information booklet with useful, practical tips and programs. For more information open this link Frequently asked questions, or go to the GP NSW Get Healhy page to access templates for your practice. More information, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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• September 2011 | September flyers 2011

Central_Express_2011.08_.29_.pdf

The Prevenar 13 catch up will commence on 1 October 2011 for children ages between 12 months to 35 months. We have a catch up reminder recall postcard to help you recall children for this vaccine.

For more information, a practice visit or to request recall postcards please contact CSGPN on 9799 0933.

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The Black Dog Institute’s ‘The ABC of CBT: Skills for GPs’ event has been cancelled.

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• August 2011 | August flyers 2011

Situation update
There is increasing influenza activity in parts of NSW and elsewhere in Australia, and there have been reports of admissions of pregnant women to intensive care in NSW. Because of the possibility of another severe influenza season in 2011, it is important to increase uptake of the seasonal influenza vaccine now, particularly among high risk groups like pregnant women. Below is the release from NSW Health:

• Influenza update for Obstetrician and Maternity Services 21 July 2011
• Mothersafe Factsheet Influenza May 2011
• www.mothersafe.org.au
• NSW Public Health

From Wikipedia:

A tag cloud (word cloud, or weighted list in visual design) is a visual representation for text data, typically used to depict keyword metadata (tags) on websites, or to visualize free form text. ‘Tags’ are usually single words and the importance of each tag is shown with font size or color. This format is useful for quickly perceiving the most prominent terms and for locating a term alphabetically to determine its relative prominence. When used as website navigation aids, the terms are hyperlinked to items associated with the tag.

CSGPN uses tags as a means to help identify topics and issues that can be covered across more than one project, as well as providing a quick means to search the website for popular topical content. The tags used on our site are in order of prominence, not alphabetical. This indicates how many entries on our website have been tagged with these keywords. As more entries are tagged, the keyword in the Tag Cloud will appear to grow in size. This assists members in searching our site for the most popular items and terms from our content. Tag clouds aren’t a replacement for the Search feature, but provides a fast means to access commonly searched content.

By placing the mouse cursor over the top of a keyword, you’ll see a Tip/Hint as to how many entries are available with that particular Tag/Keyword nominated.

Clicking on a keyword in the tag cloud will present a list of entries that have been marked appropriately, for example by clicking on the Fax or Bulletin keywords you will be given a result page listing all available entries on the site with these tags.

The RACGP is responsible for writing the Standards for General Practice through extensive consultation with general practice and other key stakeholders. After being passed through the rigorous process of the RACGP Council and the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, they are released and the accreditation agencies are responsible for conducting the survey visits and assessments. Currently the process occurs every 3 years with practices required to perform a patient feedback survey, self-assessment and practice survey visit.

The accreditation process is currently under review by the RACGP and they are seeking feedback from general practices about their views. Click on the following link to complete a short survey, RACGP Accreditation Survey or email your responses to the RACGP Standards Committee. Responses must be submitted by Friday the 12th of August.

Over recent months, CSGPN has received feedback from many practice managers seeking more support of their management role and more opportunities for skills development and training. CSGPN has taken this information on board and has been working on strategies to more effectively engage practice managers within CSGPN’s support areas. One strategy discussed is the establishment of a Central Sydney Practice Manager Network.

The view is that a Central Sydney Practice Manager Network would provide an opportunity for practice managers within the CSGPN area to interact with one another and share ideas about contemporary practice management issues. CSGPN, with assistance from AAPM, would like to support its practice managers and help facilitate this group. In doing so, CSGPN would be willing to organise and host the 1st meeting of the proposed network at our facilities in Ashfield.

CSGPN is therefore seeking expressions of interest from practice managers or highly motivated practice staff who would like to be involved in the establishment of this group. If you are interested, please complete this Expression of Interest form and fax back to 9799 0944 or email Gabby with your name and practice details.

The full-day workshops will provide general practices with the information and resources they need to continue their accreditation journey as they transition to the new 4th Edition RACGP Standards. The tour will highlight:

• the key differences between the 3rd and 4th Edition Standards
• the top 10 changes practices should focus on
• new areas of focus driven by new national standards
• explanation of new clinical governance and patient handover requirements
• assistance with the more challenging aspects of the 4th edition

Sydney workshops will be held in Parramatta on September 15th and Sydney city on September 16th with the exact locations to be disclosed to participants upon registration. Registration fees do apply however discounts are available for registrations of 4 or more people. Places are limited so bookings are essential. For more information on the workshops or to register, visit the AGPAL Satellite Navigation Workshop page or contact 1300 362 111.

The deadline for nominations for the AAPM NSW Practice Manager of the Year Award closes Friday the 8th of July. The award is an opportunity to recognise and reward the contributions Practice Managers make in the medical, dental or allied health environment. If you have or know an outstanding practice manager, nominate them now. For more information on the entrant and selection criteria, download the Nomination Form or contact AAPM NSW.

Lifeline has previously been unable to reach people in the deaf community with the traditional phone based crisis support service.  “The online trial is reaching new people never before communicated with. It’s stories like this that make the online trial a success, especially when the young person expresses such gratitude to us for diversifying into this medium.”

Lifeline have seen great demand for this online based service, particularly with the under 35 age group accounting for 83% of all contacts.

The trial has surpassed all expectations and Lifeline are pleased to announce that the trial is being extended until the 31st of August 2011 thanks to funding from the Department of Health & Ageing.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or access their online chat service from 8pm (AEST) to midnight everyday.

The National Gestational Diabetes Register has been established within the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) to help women who have had gestational diabetes to manage their health into the future.

The Register is taking registrations from July 1st, 2011. Patients registered will receive regular reminders for follow-up diabetes screening, information on maintaining healthy lifestyle and access subsidised NDSS products for 12 months.

For your patient to qualify, a Registration form needs to be completed and signed by a doctor. The Registration form and further information can be accessed from www.ndss.com.au/GD/ or contact the Infoline 1300 136588

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• July 2011 | July flyers 2011

GestationalDiabetesRecipes.com is a recipe, information and community website aimed primarily at women with GDM.The website provides dietitian reviewed GDM recipes which will help women keep to the GDM diet and therefore improve the birth outcomes for both themselves and their babies. The website has been recommended by RPAH Endocrinologist Dr Glynis Ross

The NSW Industrial Relations commission is holding free workshops on the new Health Professionals and Support Services Award which commenced under the new IR system on 1st January 2010. This award covers not only health professionals but clerical and administrative staff working in the health industry. The free workshop runs for approx 3 hours and provides an overview of the Fair Work Act and your obligations as an employer. Registrations will begin soon with workshops beginning in July. For more information visit Industrial Relations Commission website.

The RACGP have recently released the new 4th Edition Standards for General Practice and from Friday 1st of July, all new practices who register for accreditation will have a choice on which edition they will be assessed against. This period of choice will apply to all practices who register for their first time accreditation between the 1st of July and 31st of October 2011. After the 1st of November, all practices registering for accreditation will be assessed using the new 4th edition standards. For more information about the new changes, visit the RACGP Standards website.

Medicare Australia have also announced the new Practice Nurse Incentive Program (PNIP) to begin on 1st of January 2012. Under this new program, a one-off $5000 incentive payment is available for unaccredited practices to undergo accreditation. To find out more information or to assess if your practice is eligible, please visit the Medicare PNIP website or the CSGPN Nursing page

On Thursday the 16th of June, Medicare and the Commonwealth Government released the guidelines for the new Practice Nurse Incentive Program (PNIP). The 22 page document provides a comprehensive overview of the new program arrangements including eligibility requirements, payment calculations, the application process and grievance procedures. The guidelines also outline procedures for practices to apply for grandparenting arrangements if they are deemed as ‘disadvantaged’ by the new program and practice scenarios to illustrate how the new program will operate in practice. Medicare have also included an attachment outlining the role of a nurse in general practice settings. A copy of the guidelines can be accessed from the Medicare Practice Nurse Incentive Program website.

Arrangements under the new program will include:

• support for accredited practices to employ a registered nurse, enrolled nurse or Aboriginal health worker
• a one-off $5,000 incentive payment to support eligible non-accredited practices to become accredited
• grandparenting arrangements for the first 3 years of the program to ensure no practice is financially disadvantaged by the restructure of the program
• a loading for Aboriginal Medical Services and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sevrices
• a loading for practices who provide GP services to Department of Veteran’s Affairs Gold Card Holders

The PNIP aims to simplify previous funding arrangements under the Practice Incentive Programs nurse incentive and the MBS practice nurse items by redirecting them into a single payment. From 31st December 2011, 6 MBS nurse items covering immunisation, cervical smears and wound care will no longer be available. It is important to note that item numbers 10986, 10987 and 10997 will still remain.

As part of the PNIP, eligible practices could receive up to $12,500 per annum for an Enrolled Nurse or Aboriginal Health Worker and up to $25,000 per annum for a Registered Nurse to be employed. Payments are calculated based on the practice SWPE value and the number of contracted hours of the Registered nurse, Enrolled nurse or Aboriginal Health Worker. A PNIP Ready Reckoner has been developed for practices to calculate their estimated incentive payments under the new program. To access the Ready Reckoner click here.

Practices can apply for the PNIP at any time from 1st October 2011 and eligibility assessment will begin from 1st January 2012. To be eligible for a February payment, an application must be received no later than 31st January 2012. Practices can apply either in writing by downloading an application form from the Medicare website or using the PNIP Online System via HPOS (Health Professional Online Services). Application forms will not be made available before this date.

Practices who believe they will be financially disadvantaged by the removal of the PIP Nurse Incentive and the MBS nurse items will be eligible for top-up payments until 31st December 2014. An assessment will be conducted by Medicare Australia in order to determine if a practice is eligible for a top-up payment using historical MBS data. Practices have until the 30th June 2012 to apply for a top-up payment. No more applications for top-up payments can be made after this date.

For more information about the PNIP visit Practice Nurse Incentive Program website or call Medicare Incentive Line on 1800 222 032 (Option 3).

The course provides valuable information for nurses, receptionists, allied health professionals and doctors with topics covering those functions widely used by the programs. Medical Director training is scheduled for Thursday the 21st of July and Pracsoft Training scheduled for Friday the 22nd of July. Each courses costs $220 per participant and places are limited. All courses are held at the HCN Office located in St Leonards. For more information about each course or to register, contact David Dieben 02 9467 6173 or visit the HCN Training Page.

Latest fact sheets for immunisation providers and consumer information regarding Rotovirus and intussusception, visit the Department of Health and Ageing page here for Rotovirus.

The program - ‘Beyond babyblues: Detecting and managing perinatal mental health disorders in primary care’ - is the first of its kind in Australia and will provide health professionals - including midwives, GPs, obstetricians and maternal, child and family health care workers - with extra training and skills to understand, detect, treat and manage mental health conditions.

On completion of the advanced six-hour program, GPs will receive a mental health skills training qualification from the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) and other health professionals will receive relevant recognition from their professional bodies.

To find out more about the online training, visit www.thinkgp.com.au/beyondblue

To find out more about depression, anxiety and related conditions during the perinatal period, visit:
beyondblue or www.justspeakup.com.au or call the beyondblue info line on 1300 22 4636.

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• June 2011 | June flyers 2011

• Practices with an expiry date before 30th of March 2012- will be accredited using the 3rd Edition Standards
• Practices with an expiry date between 1st April 2012 and 31st July 2012- will have a choice to use either the 3rd or 4th Edition Standards for accreditation
• Practices with an expiry date after 1st of August 2012- will be accredited using the new 4th Edition Standards

RACGP is currently running free educational sessions via teleconference about the new features of 4th Edition Standards to assist practices with the transition. Information on dates and how to access the teleconference can be found on the RACGP Standards Website. If you are unsure about your practice’s expiry date, contact your accrediting body, AGPAL or GPA Plus.

Marjen Education Services is running a one-day workshop on infection control on Tuesday the 21st of June 2011 at Burwood, Sydney.

Marjen Education Services is a Melbourne-based organisation providing infection control education to health professionals and practice staff working in a non-hospital environment.This 4 hour education workshop is aimed at practice staff and practice nurses requiring a refresher or any staff member who is new to general practice. The course costs $110 per participant and includes a certificate and notes material with limited places available. The course will run from 1.30pm till 6pm at the Royal College of Nursing located at 14 Railway Parade, Burwood (opposite railway station) and has a maximum of 4 CNE hours available for nurses. Various topics will be covered so for more information or to register, download the Marjen Training Flyer.

The course provides valuable information for nurses, receptionists, allied health professionals and doctors with topics covering those functions widely used by the programs. Medical Director training is scheduled for Tuesday the 14th of June and Pracsoft Training scheduled for Wednesday the 15th of June. Each courses costs $220 per participant and places are limited. For more information about each course or to register, contact David Dieben 02 9467 6173 or visit the HCN Training Page.

The Infant Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (ICAMHS) including School Link have a brand new website.

The website includes:

• Information about Sydney and South Western Sydney Infant Child Adolescent Mental Health Services (ICAMHS) including referral criteria and how to make a referral
• Health programs supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people
• The School-Link Newsletter
• Links to other mental health services for children and adolescents
• Other useful websites eg Beyond Blue, Reach Out
• Information for families and carers

The RPAH Thyroid Clinic has developed a new GP referral flowchart and clinic process for antenatal women. The flowchart identifies “red light” areas for which referral to the clinic is recommended.

The following items were removed from PBS listing (effective 1st April):
Zuclopenthixol decanoate (Clopixol® depot 200mg/mL)
Flupenthixol decanoate (Fluanxol® depot 20mg/mL & 40mg/2mL)
Note: The flupenthixol decanoate concentrated depot (100mg/mL) is still PBS listed.

These items are long acting injections for the treatment of psychosis.

Lundbeck Australia, the supplier, has advised that this is a result of ongoing pricing negotiations and likely to be a temporary arrangement.

The deletion of PBS listing will have significant impact on patients who currently obtain these depots from their local pharmacy and may not have the means or the inclination to pay private prescription prices. Private prescription pricing may vary between pharmacies however is approximately $30 for zuclopenthixol decanoate (Clopixol® depot) x 5 ampoules.

Many of the patients who have these medications have them administered at the local CHC and we are developing systems to ensure patients continue to receive this medication.

Some patients may receive this medication through their GP. It is important for patients who are prescribed this medication to continue to have it. The Sydney and Sydney South West LHN are prepared to help resolve any issues. For example if the barrier is that the patient will not pay then the LHN can be contacted and we may provide a supply of the medication to the GP.

Please contact Paul Clenaghan on 9378 1209 for any problems in the Central Sydney GP Network.

View the articles online or download the PDF for offline viewing below.

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• May 2011 | May flyers 2011

The TGA is advising health professionals not to administer a second or subsequent dose of Pneumovax 23 vaccine pending the outcome of a review of an apparent increased rate of injection site reactions following administration of the second dose.

Health practitioners are advised not to administer Pneumovax 23 vaccine to patients who have previously received a dose of Pneumovax 23 until a review of this matter by the TGA and ATAGI is completed.

Consumers are advised not to seek revaccination with Pneumovax 23 if they have previously received this vaccine until further advice is provided by the TGA and ATAGI.

Consumers who believe they may have suffered an adverse reaction to Pneumovax 23 are advised to see their medical practitioner for review.

Further information from TGA.

The Parliamentary Secretary for the Department of Health and Ageing, Catherine King, announced on the 16th of April that a 2nd round of grants are now available through the Primary Care Infrastructure Program. The Government has made approximately 200 grants available through the program valued at $52.2 million. The grants are aimed at current general practices to expand services or upgrade existing facilities, with at least one third of grants dedicated to rural or remote GP’s. There are three types of grants available, with grants up to $150,000 each; up to $300,000 each; and up to $500,000. Visit the Primary Care Infrastructure Grants page on the Department’s website to register your interest. Once registered, you will be able to download the application documents. Applications must be received by 2pm on 10th June 2011.

For more information about the grants program, download the Primary Care Infrastructure Grants Guidelines. Click here for an information sheet on writing grant submissions.

The Fetal Medicine Unit has informed us of new staff appointments and up-coming additions to First Trimester Screening as well as referral protocols for Fetal Echocardiography.

Downloads

• new staff appointments and up-coming additions to First Trimester Screening
• referral protocols for Fetal Echocardiography

The Infants Home Child & Family Services together with the University of NSW are conducting the Changing Life Trajectories Research Project.

The project will offer free parenting education and support to assist isolated mothers in parenting their newborn. The program will include 10 sessions, 4 individual home visits and 6 parent education groups. The program aims to increase maternal responsiveness, increase knowledge and confidence in parenting, decrease social isolation, increase connectedness and use of services.

Further information is outlined in the Information Sheet or contact Nicole Bechard on ph 9799 4844 or nbechard@theinfantshome.org.au.

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• April 2011 | April flyers 2011

The beyondblue Clinical Practice Guidelines for women in the perinatal period (during pregnancy and the first year following birth) have been approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and are now available.

The Clinical Practice Guidelines draw on the latest high-quality research evidence to provide recommendations and good practice points for health professionals to identify, treat and manage depression, anxiety and related disorders in pregnant women and new mothers.

The Guidelines were prepared by an expert advisory group comprising mental health professionals, people who have experienced perinatal depression and related disorders – and carers.
The Draft Guidelines were released in 2010 for a two-month public consultation period during which submissions were accepted, reviewed and later, incorporated into the final Guidelines which were submitted to the NHMRC for its approval.

The Guidelines are an Australian first and will assist all health professionals working with women – midwives, GPs, obstetricians and maternal, child and family health care workers – to identify, manage and treat women with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and puerperal psychosis. 

Research shows women are more at risk of developing mental health disorders during the perinatal period than at any other time in their lives.  Up to 9 per cent of women will experience depression during pregnancy and almost 16 per cent will experience depression in the postnatal period. Early detection and appropriate treatment greatly reduces the risks not only for the mother, but for her baby and other family members.

Health professionals, women and their families will now be informed by quality research about the most effective treatments including which medications are safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The development and application of the Perinatal Clinical Practice Guidelines is an integral part in the implementation of the National Perinatal Depression Initiative which has been allocated $85 million in funding by the Federal, State and Territory Governments.

Copies of the Guidelines can be downloaded FREE or ordered at beyondblue – or by calling the beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636. Summary documents for health professionals are in development.

Microsoft are now pushing Windows users to drop the usage of Internet Explorer 6, a major campaign to demote their own product. Here’s the reason why.

From the official website:
“There are many benefits of upgrading to a newer version of Internet Explorer – improved speed, tabbed browsing, and better privacy settings to name a few. The web has changed significantly over the past 10 years. The browser has evolved to adapt to new web technologies, and the latest versions of Internet Explorer help protect you from new attacks and threats.
We recommend that Internet Explorer 6 users upgrade to a newer version of Internet Explorer for a safer browsing experience.”

What about corporate/business users?

Some users report that they use Internet Explorer 6 because they have to for work. Microsoft understand that IT organisations may have unique considerations, and have put together resources to help.

For CSGPN members, the issue faced with the usage of IE6 is the exposure to malicious attacks and increased security risk. Some websites are known not to display correctly or at all with the use of IE6 including our very own here.

For further information on what you can do, visit the official countdown to extinction website for IE6 at http://ie6countdown.com.

The Canterbury Hospital’s new Maternity referral form is available below and under ANSC : ” Canterbury Hospital Maternity Booking Process”

Canterbury Hospital Maternity Referral Form (Feb 2011)

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has put together the attached brief document, following advice from Medicare Australia, in response to a series of questions to clarify issues raised by members who had undergone a Medicare Compliance Audit.

The information is also useful for GPs, to ensure the correct documentation is forwarded to allied mental health professionals, as well as received from them.

medicare-audit-update-feb-2010.pdf

The Fetal Medicine Department has introduced a new paging system to assist GPs in contacting the Fetal Medicine Department for urgent matters.

Contact RPA Hospital on ph 9515 6111 Pager # 81668

The paging system is to be used to access urgent ultrasound bookings, urgent ultrasound reports, second opinions or if advice is required from a Fetal Medicine Specialist. The service will operate between Monday & Friday from 7.00am-3.30pm. If the pager is not answered please contact the Department on 9515 6042.

 

 

The RPAH Hepatitis C & B referral forms are now available below and under ANSC : Forms

• RPAH Hepatitis C Referral Form (Mar 2011)
• RPAH Hepatitis B referral Form (Mar 2011)

Download

• March 2011 | March 2011 flyers

The Chief Medical Officer has advised that there is new evidence suggesting a small increased risk of intussusception in infants following rotavirus vaccination. On the basis of the overall risk benefit balance, it is recommend that young infants continue to be offered vaccination against rotavirus and that their parents and carers are made aware of the rare risk of intussusception and how to be alert for the signs and symptoms of the condition.

Communication resources have been developed by NSW Health and a distribution strategy is being implemented to advise parents and providers:

1. NSW Health will be faxing the Chief Medical Officer’s letter and provider fact-sheet directly to all providers, General Practice NSW and Public Health Units. All documents (including a Parent Fact-sheet) will be available via the NSW Health website
2. The Australian Government will be mailing hard copies of the documents directly to providers over the next few weeks
3. The TGA website will have updated information and revised Product Information (PI) for the two rotavirus vaccines (Rotarix® and RotaTeq®)

Release documents

• Chief Medical Officer letter
• Summary factsheet for providers
• Information for Immunisation Providers February 2011
• Information for Parents February 2011
• Report of TGA’s investigation

Queries should be referred to the Immunise Australia website or to the Immunise Australia Information Line on 1800 671 811 (between 8:30am – 5.00pm Eastern Australian Time).

The Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN) is hosting a follow up to a Adolescent Mental Health webinar that was offered as a live activity on 1st December 2010. the previous webinar is currently available as a podcast on the MHPN website.

Note: Viewing the podcast is a pre-requisite to participating in this follow up webinar.

For further information regarding this webinar, refer to the events section of the MHPN website.

From Monday 7th February 2011, the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service ( EPAS) at RPAH will be offering outpatient medical management of miscarriage.

This outpatient option will be offered to women who are diagnosed as having a missed/incomplete miscarriage and have no contraindications to such management.

• Guidelines for Medical Management of Miscarriage
• Patient Information : Medical Management of Miscarriage

This information is also located under “Pregnancy Assessment” in the ANSC section of the website.

At its March 2010 meeting, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended an extension to the listing of nicotine patches through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) as an aid to smoking cessation.  Previously, nicotine replacement therapy was only available to indigenous patients.

From 1 February 2011, the listing for nicotine patches (Nicorette®, Nicabate P® and Nicotinell®) has been extended to include all eligible individuals (general and concessional patients). 

Further information regarding this change can be found on the PBS website

CSGPN takes centre stage with a full-page ad aimed at raising awareness about type 2 diabetes and Lifestyle Modification Program.
To see a copy of the advertisement, click here to download.

We encourage all GPs and practice staff to read the ad.  The advertisement encourages people to complete the AUSRISK tool, tells them about the Lifestyle Modification Program, and asks them to see their GP if they need a diabetes check.  For more information about the Lifestyle Modification Program please contact Alison Mudie on 8752 4930 or email amudie@csgpn.com.au