18 April 2024
WA Primary Health Alliance acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners and Elders of this country and recognises the significant importance of their cultural heritage, values and beliefs and how these contribute to the positive health and wellbeing of the whole community. Throughout this newsletter, the term 'Aboriginal' is used to refer to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, unless stated otherwise.
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From 6 April 2024, the Department of Health and Aged Care has enabled patients to provide additional information about themselves as part of their MyMedicare registration, should they choose to. The "About You" questions allow patients to voluntarily provide information about whether they identify as First Nations, have a disability and/or have a cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) background. There is also a question about gender and sexual orientation. Patients have the option to provide answers to the voluntary questions when registering for MyMedicare using a registration form or registering through Medicare Online Services. Information and resources on patient registration can be found on the Practice Assist MyMedicare information page and on the Department of Health and Aged Care MyMedicare webpages.
For the purpose of accreditation, RACGP has launched a new definition of general practice, with the aim to inclusively accredit innovative models of general practice care. The previous definition has been in place since 2013 and has limited the accreditation of innovative general practice models which cater to specific patient cohorts such as aged care and disabled patients or operate without traditional physical premises. The new definition does, however, retain the requirement a practice be comprehensive, continuous, and GP-led. The updated definition and information on requirements for accreditation are available on RACGP’s website, with an interpretative guide for accreditation agencies and surveyors also available. Members and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback on how the interpretive guide for implementation of the Standards’ requirements is working in your practice. The new definition does not impact practices that are currently accredited.
With mental health recognised as one of the most common reasons why people visit general practices in Australia, practice staff can play an integral role in helping to improve the care of patients with depression and preventing suicidal behaviour. To equip practice staff with leading methodologies and strategies in suicide prevention, they can attend free suicide prevention training workshops in Armadale, Bunbury, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Manjimup and Midland. The training workshops are delivered by Wesley LifeForce and supported by WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA). Wesley LifeForce develops its training from evidence-based expertise in the Australian community with input from GPs, general practice nurses and practice managers. For further information or to register for an upcoming workshop, visit the links below:
The Greater Choices for At Home Palliative Care program has implemented a small pilot with three general practices where there is a focus on the implementation of Advance Care Planning (ACP) as part of routine Health Assessments for older patients. ACP is a voluntary process for all people aged 18 years and over and becomes increasingly important for people diagnosed with a life limiting illness. ACP becomes more important following a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness and /or as we age and require increased help and support with our everyday activities. ACP is the embodiment of patient-centred care. In WA, ACP is broken down into four steps: Benefits of ACP include:
Please note that there are important considerations when uploading these documents to Best Practice and MHR – please see Practice Assist Factsheet.
To help control the WA syphilis outbreak, the WA Department of Health offers interested health service access to free syphilis Point-of-Care (PoC) tests for client testing. Syphilis PoC tests offer a reactive or non-reactive result to syphilis antibodies within 15 minutes. A reactive syphilis PoC test in a client with no history of syphilis allows treatment and contact tracing on the day of presentation, compared to waiting for the results of syphilis serology and follow-up. Enrolled services are provided the testing supplies and training for the syphilis PoC testing strips for FREE. For more information or to find out how to enrol, please contact the syphilis PoC testing program at syphilispoct@health.wa.gov.au
Looking to make the sector a first choice for nurses when leaving education, APNA organises all aspects of the program for host workplaces, allowing them to focus on sharing their know-how with the next generation of nurses.
There are several benefits for general practice offered by APNA as part of the program, which include:
The program, APNA says, allows workplaces to build a pipeline of prospective future employees.
To find out more, please complete an expression of interest form and a member of the Career Pathways team will be in touch.
Run by Sexual Health Quarters (SHQ) 1800 4 Choice is a free helpline that provides confidential support to people experiencing unintended pregnancy, and advice to health sector workers in Western Australia.
The line is staffed by experienced SHQ clinicians who can provide access information on abortion care and service providers across WA.
Health practitioners can also call 1800 4 Choice for advice and clarity around Western Australia’s newly implemented abortion laws and their obligations.
SHQ is a pro-choice organisation committed to removing barriers to sexual and reproductive health.
For more information go to shq.org.au/clinic/1800-4-choice/
SHQ is holding a workshop on 9 May 2024 for GPs seeking additional support navigating WA’s newly implemented abortion laws designed to build confidence and skills in providing best practice medication abortion care under the new legislation.
Register here
Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group is conducting a review to ensure timely and appropriate care to those waiting for an outpatient appointment. The review will:
Patients will be asked to update their referral by visiting their GP within six weeks of the date on the letter. If a patient does not respond to the letter or if no updated referral is received, the original referral will be closed. The aim of this review is to minimise our patient wait times and enhance the patient journey. General practitioners who have queries from patients can direct them to the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital website or they can call the phone number listed on the letter. For more information visit: Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - Clinic appointments (outpatients) (health.wa.gov.au)
The WA Department of Health recently introduced a free RSV immunisation program for eligible infants and babies for the 2024 winter season, delivered through participating birth hospitals, general practices, Aboriginal Medical Services and Community Health Immunisation Clinics.
Grove Medical practice owners Dr Mary-Therese Wyatt and Dr Sean Stevens Grove Medical has used a range of communications channels to raise awareness of immunisation availability and the important role it can play in protecting babies from RSV, including:
Grove Medical owner Dr Mary-Therese Wyatt said this campaign has been particularly effective due to word of mouth within the community.
“We’ve had parents who have seen our social media posts or newsletters and have spoken to their friends and parent groups about it, encouraging them to immunise their babies.
“Parents aren’t necessarily aware of how important this immunisation is. If they have never seen a child with RSV, it is difficult to understand the impact it can have on their child. One dose of nirsevimab protects babies for at least five months, which is the length of an average RSV season.
“We have found it has worked to assume zero knowledge and start from the beginning and will continue to ramp up our patient education until we have reached everyone.”
Find out more about RSV immunisation or download WA Health’s campaign social media tiles and posters.
** key note: this article does not include information regarding the Free Flu Program for May and June. This information will be released shortly** Annual flu vaccination is the most important way to prevent influenza and its complications. Influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months. The National Immunisation Program and the WA Department of Health provides free influenza vaccine for people most at risk during a flu season.
Immunisation providers are required to report all influenza vaccinations administered to the AIR, this includes NIP, State-funded, and privately purchased vaccines. There have been several changes to AIR codes in the last 30 days. Please ensure that you have updated your practice management software to ensure that these changes are captured. Due to the change in seasonal influenza formulation, persons who received a 2023 influenza vaccine late 2023 or early 2024 are still recommended to receive a 2024 formulation influenza vaccine. Influenza vaccines can be co-administered (given on the same day) as other vaccines including COVID-19 vaccines. For those aged 65 years and over, whilst it is acceptable to co-administer Fluad® Quad and Shingrix® on the same day, given the limited data on co-administration of these adjuvanted vaccines, it is recommended to separate administration of these two products by a few days.
Further information was released in the Vaccine Update 370 or can be found on the Influenza Immunisation page.
The Metropolitan Centre for Disease Control will commence vaccine fridge auditing in Perth North in April. If practices have not already received their audit request, you will do shortly. In 2023, Vaccine Fridge audits became mandatory and Perth east and South have been completed. It is a timely reminder for all practices to ensure that they have their cold chain processes firmly in place. Cold Chain is a whole of clinic responsibility. WAPHA hosted a webinar in February discussing vaccine storage and management, including disaster preparedness, what to do during a breach and the strive for 5 guidelines. The webinar is available to view on the Practice Assist website, or view the webinar here.
The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) program has now been active in Western Australia for 2 weeks. The Department of Health has produced a quick reference guide to assist general practice with the roll out of the RSV program, which is a two page guide that lists eligibility, dosage and other useful information and links. See the guide here. General Practices now have the ability to order more stock of the Nirsevimab/ Beyfortus if it is needed via your usual OneLink account. Please be mindful of the needs of your clinic when ordering. A template is also available to assist with general practices recalling the eligible cohorts. Practices are encouraged to recall all of their eligible infants before the season begins to ensure good coverage. See the RSV SMS and letter template here. If you are unsure who is eligible for RSV immunisation, WA Primary Health Alliance is offering the Clinical data base search guidelines to search your clinical database to find these patients.
The Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA) have created some Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) resources for the community. The resources give all the important information on RSV for Aboriginal families and communities. Resources are available here.
From 15 April 2024, vaccination providers will be able to report information about Q fever (Q-VAX) vaccination and natural immunity status to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). Providers will be able to update an individual’s AIR record based on information in their Q Fever eStatement and other supporting documentation, taking into account Australian Immunisation Handbook recommendations. This initiative will support the closure of the Australian Q Fever Register. However, individuals can access their information on the Q Fever Register – including their Q Fever eStatement – until 30 June 2025. Further information here.
World Immunisation Week 2024 will be celebrated between 24 and 30 April 2024, with the theme 'Humanly Possible: Saving lives through immunisation'. This year, the campaign commemorates the 50th anniversary of the World Health Organization's Expanded Program on Immunisation, acknowledges the efforts to save lives from vaccine preventable diseases and encourages further investment in immunisation programs. Immunisation campaigns have enabled us to eradicate smallpox, nearly defeat polio, and ensure more children survive and thrive than ever before. The World Health Organisation is recognizing our collective efforts to save and improve countless lives from vaccine-preventable diseases and is calling on countries to ramp up investments in immunisation programmes to protect the next generations. Read the full article here.
The 8th Annual Immunisation Forum (AIF) hybrid event will take place at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Brisbane on June 14, 2024, immediately following the PHAA’s Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference (CDIC). This full day event will cover topics that include new vaccine technology and strategies and tactics to increase vaccination rates. The meeting is ideal for GPs, practice nurses, specialists, pharmacists and other immunisation specialists. View the program. Register to attend online.
Watch the webinar on the latest updates relating to influenza and COVID-19 vaccination, the final instalment of our series of events on preventing respiratory disease in Australia in 2024. Our panel of leading experts presented on:
View the webinar here.
Cancer Council WA has created three PDSA activities aimed to help general practices identify and encourage eligible patients to participate in the practice-chosen national cancer screening program. You can select either Bowel, Breast or Cervical Screening as the chosen program. The activities consist of two cycles, illustrated by the example of the bowel cancer screening PDSA below: Cycle 1: Audit eligible patients with no recorded iFOBT or those overdue for an iFOBT. Cycle 2: Randomly divide eligible patients (without recorded iFOBT or overdue) into two groups. One group receives a supplementary reminder (letter, SMS, phone call) chosen by the practice, while the other gets standard care. Compare the effectiveness of these approaches by assessing iFOBT results in the randomly identified patients. If you are interested in completing the PDSA activities, register using the link and you will receive an email with the chosen PDSA activity and the required steps to implement the planned changes. Register here.
Limited GP placements are now available at the head & neck cancer (HNC) supervised clinical attachment at Fiona Stanley Hospital. Participation in the two half-day clinics provides an opportunity for GPs to further understand the HNC referral and diagnostic process at the Rapid Access Neck Lump Clinic and observe and network with multiple sub-specialists who together make “live” decisions regarding recommended treatment for individual patients. Express your interest by emailing gp@cancerwa.asn.au
Australia has 4 National Cancer Screening Programs delivered by General Practice. WAPHA hosted a webinar featuring each of the programs, gaining insights and updates on each of the programs, including a preview into the National Lung Screening program which will be implemented in July 2025. Presentations from Dr Eric Khong of BreastScreen WA, Sofia Avery from the WA Cervical Cancer Prevention Program, Kath O’Connor from National Bowel Screening Program and also John Lee from Telstra Health, which implements the National Cancer Screening Registry. Recording of the webinar can now be viewed via the Practice Assist website, and here.
Join Cancer Council WA for this education session. This breast cancer event features three presentations from radiology, medical oncology, and surgical perspectives. Topics will cover medical imaging and treatment modalities, referral pathways, as well as follow-up and surveillance. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into breast cancer care. For further information and to register, click here.
In November 2023, WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) invited COVID-19 vaccinating general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) to participate in the COVID-19 Immunisation Recall and Reminder Grant. The purpose of the one-off grant was to assist with promoting and administering COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and other recommended vaccinations to help increase vaccine uptake and decrease the transmission of vaccine preventable illnesses. Adele Hyslop, WAPHA Immunisation Primary Care Project Officer, explained that during the four-week grant period, participating practices were required to access their 42A report via the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and submit two data sets, one at the beginning and the end of the activity, with a brief description on how the activity would be achieved. “We had a great response to the grant opportunity with 227 practices across WA registering to participate and 191 (84%) of these practices completing the requirements, which resulted in 9,513 COVID-19 vaccinations being administered during the activity,” Ms Hyslop said. For further information about how your practice team can enhance processes and procedures to increase vaccine uptake in your clinic, refer to the resources and webinar recordings below:
If you have any questions or require more information, call Practice Assist on 1800 2 ASSIST (1800 2 277 478 or 08 6278 7900) or email practiceassist@wapha.org.au
In March, the ATAGI released updated advice regarding the administration of COVID-19 vaccines in 2024. It is mandatory to record all COVID-19 vaccinations on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). The statement includes information about:
A summary of the updated advice is presented in Table 1 below. Please see the statement and refer to the Australian Immunisation Handbook COVID-19 chapter for further details. #See the Australian Immunisation Handbook for definitions and examples of severe immunocompromise Ticks indicate age at which a vaccine is registered and available. Blank cells indicate that the vaccine is not available for that age group. *Registration approved but supply not available at time of publication
Western Australian vaccination rates for COVID-19 Boosters has slowed in the last year, especially with the vulnerable population.
Administer COVID-19 vaccines with the Influenza immunisation to increase uptake & improve protection against both diseases.
For information on the COVID-19 Vaccination and advice on Co-Administration please click the below link:
COVID-19 Vaccines & Co-Administration (Immunisation Handbook)
It is mandatory for all vaccination providers to report COVID-19 vaccinations within 24 hours or no longer than 10 working days after the vaccination.
Recent reports are showing that the rates of COVID-19 booster Vaccinations in WA are low. AIR reporting errors is one of the contributing factors.
Utilising AIR reports can assist with ensuring patients are up to date with immunisations and vaccinations. The report (42A) can also assist with quality improvements activities within the practice.
Please see the following link for further information:
Please see the following links to further information on AIR reporting:
The digital enablement of residential aged care (RACH) has been a priority focus in the work of the Digital Health Team at WA Primary Health Alliance. Two key areas of development have been in providing support for My Health Record and telehealth implementation, which are key enablers of enhancing after hours care and improving overall equitable accessibility to services such as General Practice. The team continue to work closely with residential aged care homes to support the setup and use of their new telehealth carts. With WAPHA providing equipment to over 175 RACHs across WA, WAPHAs digital health and regional teams are delivering a series of roadshows to support RACH, GPs and other healthcare providers. The team are currently supporting providers in the Great Southern region having visited the South West in March, and will be heading to Geraldton in May with further activities planned for the coming months. “Between 13 March 2020 and 31 July 2022, 118.2 million telehealth services have been delivered to 18 million patients, and more than 95,000 practitioners have now used telehealth services” – Australian Digital Health Agency The telehealth project has enjoyed momentum due to the increased uptake by residential aged care. Since January there was an 80% increase in residential aged care sites that had adopted and set up their telehealth equipment. This presents a valuable opportunity for General Practices with telehealth capability to enhance their patient reach and realise the efficiency gains to everyday practice such as reduced travel and wait times and improved resource allocation.
To understand more about how telehealth and My Health Record benefits healthcare providers and their patients visit the Australian Digital Agency. Residential aged care homes can reach out directly to the Australian Digital Health agency for tailored one on one support for My Health Record by emailing MHR.Registration.RAC@digitalhealth.gov.au If you are a General Practice that is interested in telehealth and getting support, please reach out to the Digital Health Team at practiceassist@wapha.org.au
The WAPHA Digital Health Team deploying telehealth carts to participating residential aged care homes (RACHs) across Western Australia
This Heart Week (6-12 May), start a conversation with your patients about heart health and the positive steps they can take to reduce their heart disease risk. Every four minutes, one Australian has a heart attack or stroke. Never miss a beat. Use the Heart Foundation Aus CVD Risk calculator during your next Heart Health Check. With a CVD risk prediction equation uniquely modified and recalibrated for the Australian population, the Aus CVD Risk calculator enables more accurate risk estimation through updated risk assessment criteria and refined risk categories. You can further support the delivery of Heart Health Checks and engage your patients about their heart health by:
This resource pack contains a variety of resources and promotional tools to assist you in engaging your patients about their heart health. Set up a heart health display at your workplace and enter the creative display competition to win one of two $500 vouchers!
Take part in the Heart Week clinical webinar, “Metabolic matrix: Introducing the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome”, on Thursday 9 May, 7-8.30 pm AEST. Join an expert panel, featuring esteemed researcher and lead author of the American Heart Association’s presidential advisory defining CKM syndrome , Dr Chiadi Ndumele, to unpack the newly defined CKM syndrome, and explore the latest evidence-based management strategies as well as practical applications in primary healthcare settings. Learn more about how to get involved at heartfoundation.org.au/heart-week.
Education & Events
Presented by Black Dog Institute Multiple Dates & Times
Please make your GPs and GP registrars aware that they can attend free online training sessions throughout the 2024 calendar year with a choice of target topics including:
CPD hours are available for the online training sessions. For more information, dates and registration links, visit WAPHA’s suicide prevention webpage.
RACGP will be hosting a webinar (for members and non-members) presented by the DHAC on the tripled Medicare BBI payments introduced last November for select patients and services provided in general practice. The webinar will cover:
Specific questions you would like addressed by DHAC during the webinar can be emailed to healthreform@racgp.org.au Find out more and register
WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) is providing GPs in WA with paid online Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) training, designed to help practitioners and clinicians recommend the most appropriate level of care for a person seeking mental health support. GPs and GP registrars who attend the two workshops in the one online session will be remunerated $300 and CPD hours are available. April and May IAR-DST training dates:
To find out more, view the April flyer, the May flyer or the WAPHA IAR-DST webpage.
How many people have you diagnosed with chronic kidney disease this week? Join Kidney Health Australia with Prof David Johnson (Nephrologist) and Dr Caitlin Sum (General Practitioner) as they explore how to detect and diagnose chronic kidney disease in at risk populations. They will identify the three elements of the Kidney Health Check and why testing for albuminuria is critical. Tips for creating a simple plan to detect and diagnose chronic kidney disease in individuals without a coded diagnosis will be outlined. RACGP/ACRRM EA hours – 1 (pending approval). Register here Enquiries: primary.care@kidney.org.au
Join Fremantle Women’s Health Centre for this free event and education session in celebrating International Nurses Day for 2024. Details:
View the flyer here for more information and register here.
In 2024, the HealthPathways WA team will run three live demonstrations facilitated online by a GP Clinical Editor. These sessions will demonstrate how to integrate HealthPathways into your clinical practice and maximise user experience. Learn key functionalities of the portal and how to access condition specific tools and resources, Referral Access Criteria (RAC) (where available), GPbook Specialist Directory and specialist regional rosters. Sessions have been approved for 1 CPD Educational Hour with the RACGP and will be held online on the following dates:
Open to all health professionals registered to practice in WA as well as general practice staff. For more information or to register, please refer the event flyer.