16 May 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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WA continues to see an upward trend in active syphilis cases. Of these, congenital syphilis has become more prevalent, with pregnant women now a priority population group. Since 2018, there have been 16 congenital syphilis notifications in WA, 6 of whom became deceased. Four cases were reported in 2023. As syphilis is often asymptomatic, WA Health urges doctors to offer opportunistic serological syphilis testing to all of their sexually active patients. WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA)’s Quality Improvement (QI) team have developed a range of resources to support practices with syphilis management. If you would like any assistance with implementing any of the below Quality Improvement activities or would like more information, please contact QI@wapha.org.au For WA guidelines about STI testing, management, and contact tracing, please see WA Guidelines for Managing Sexually Transmitted Infections (Silver Book).
Click here for more Syphilis QI Activity Ideas.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has announced a vital update to the RACGP Standards for general practices (5th edition). The updated standard, GP2.2►E, now includes revised guidelines for managing high-risk results identified outside of normal operating hours.
Key changes include that you must:
This change aims to ensure patients are promptly informed of critical results at any time while considering the logistical challenges faced by GPs.
For more information and to download the factsheet here.
General practices play an important role in addressing the complex issue of weight management. SHAPE is an online resource hub aiming to improve how weight management support is delivered in primary care. SHAPE is part of a larger, state-wide commitment to halt the rise of obesity1. It contains resources, tools and education to support health professionals to play a more central role in helping patients with weight related health concerns to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. By focusing on health in a person-centred and holistic way, SHAPE acknowledges the long-term relationships GPs have with their patients and their ability to see the complete picture. The SHAPE website also includes Conversations About Weight, a suite of RACGP accredited training modules for health professionals. The training focuses on different aspects of weight management, including causes and support strategies, taking the perspective of both patient and health professional. Each module provides insight into the complexity of this topic, to empower health professionals to support patients and guide these sensitive, yet important conversations. Conversations About Weight provides:
For further information, view the SHAPE introductory video and visit the SHAPE website. 1 Sustainable Health Review, Rec 2a WA Healthy Weight Action Plan 2019-2024 (WAHWAP)
Effective 25 June 2024, St John of God Health Care will cease delivering the maternity service at St John of God Bunbury Hospital. A range of personalised information and support is being provided to women who were booked to have their babies at St John of God Bunbury Hospital. This includes transitioning their care to public hospitals, with the option to be treated as private patients and cared for by their chosen obstetrician or transferred to a St John of God private hospital in Perth. Read the full announcement here.
The community of Northam and surrounds will benefit from a new Head to Health site expected to open in June. Northam Head to Health will offer immediate free advice, support and, if needed, assessment and treatment for people with stress, anxiety and other mental health issues. WA Primary Health Alliance has selected Holyoake as the lead agency to establish and operate this new site is part of a wider range of Head to Health services funded by the Australian Government available to the community including the Head to Health Assessment and Referral Phone Service 1800 595 212, Head to Health sites, and Head to Health website. Read more Photo – Holyoake CEO Lorraine Keane and WAPHA Executive General Manager Commissioned Services Mark Cockayne
As a GP, you play a vital role in helping your patients to understand their medical condition and to plan for the future. Tailored for health professionals, Dementia Australia offers an abundance of resources and information that will help patients to be able to live as well as possible.
The GP referrer pack has an outline of services available for pre-diagnosis, post diagnosis and ongoing care for your patient provided by Dementia Australia. It also contains information on resources available to assist with a timely diagnosis and a script pad for timely and direct referrals.
Your kit will contain:
If you would like to receive your kit in the mail, click here to order a physical kit today. All the resources for health professionals are readily available through the website. For more information or support, your patients can call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year or visit dementia.org.au for advice.
Improving palliative care and end-of-life support for older Australians living in residential aged care homes (RACHs) is at the heart of a successful case coordinator pilot project, which has seen a significant uplift in honouring the preferences of residents. In January 2023, WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) began the pilot to employ four dedicated case coordinators across eight RACHs in WA. The pilot was established following a consultation forum in partnership with WA Department of Health where GPs identified the need for a dedicated role within RACHs for them to liaise with, co-ordinate case conferencing and engage in quality improvement initiatives. Over the last twelve months the coordinators have not only improved the quality of end-of-life care for residents but also provided support for loved ones, staff, and the wider system of care. The project has had a significant impact in ensuring preferences and choice at end-of-life are being documented and understood. Since the pilot began, 97 per cent of residents were able to have their preferred place of death recorded, and 95.7 per cent had their preferences met. Read more
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler and Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney say the Albanese Government has listened to Australian women suffering endometriosis and complex gynaecological conditions like chronic pelvic pain and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). For the first time women will have access to longer specialist consultations, of 45 minutes or more, covered under Medicare. The Garden Family Medical Clinic in Murdoch and Pioneer Health Albany were selected by the Australian Government to run endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics. They are among 20 clinics nationally providing expert, multidisciplinary services and care for any woman living with one or both conditions. Existing and new patients can find out more and book an initial appointment by contacting the teams:
View the media release here.
Bali, Indonesia is experiencing increased dengue fever cases, with a corresponding increase among Western Australian travellers to Bali. It’s important to advise travellers to Bali and other high-risk countries to prevent mosquito bites and to consider dengue as a differential diagnosis of fever in a returned traveller from Bali or high-risk country.
For more information read the clinician alert released 24 April 2024.
Penicillin is the cornerstone of antibiotic therapy but is frequently underused due to the reported allergies that affect about 10 per cent of the population. Surprisingly, research reveals that over 90 per cent of these reported allergies are inaccurately diagnosed. The SAFTEY PEN project at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) is piloting a GP-led service for testing and delabeling low-risk penicillin allergies with an oral challenge in your general practice. Find out more and how to express your interest in participating here.
The Western Australia Department of Health have recently sent reminder letters to new mothers of eligible babies to inform them about the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation prior to attending an immunisation visit. This has been sent either in the form of an email communication or mailed letter. Department of Health are anticipating that immunisation services may see an increase in attendance as the communication encourages mothers to contact their immunisation providers to discuss how they can protect their infant against RSV illness this winter. Ordering limits have been increased to accommodate demand. If you require more doses than the listed limits to meet your demand, please order what you need and add a note to your Onelink order. The aim is for providers not to turn anyone away due to insufficient doses on hand. If you have any questions about this, please email vaccineorders@health.wa.gov.au Thank you for your ongoing support in protecting Western Australians against RSV. Reminder: Refer to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunisation (health.wa.gov.au) for information about the program, reporting advice, and more.
A new study conducted in Galicia, Spain and published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal has found that every 25 doses of nirsevimab administered to infants prevented one RSV-related hospitalisation.
In WA more than 1,000 infants are hospitalised with RSV each year. Help prevent hospitalisations this winter by continuing to recall eligible infants. RSV infant immunisation is now also available through WA birthing hospitals for all babies born during May to September 2024.
The team at Grove Medical in Victoria Park helped immunise 25 percent of eligible patients with the free RSV vaccination, using a range of communications channels to raise awareness. Read how they did it and find social media assets and recall message ideas here (and below).
A quick reference guide can also be printed to assist busy practices in determining key program information such as eligibility, dosing and more.
Senior Medical Advisor, Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Professor Paul Effler, MD, MPH, FAFPHM says during the month of April, less than half of all immunisation encounters for age-eligible infants resulted in nirsevimab being co-administered with routine childhood vaccinations. According to data in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), there were 4,611 immunisation encounters at which nirsevimab might have been co-administered to age eligible infants but was not; in 90 per cent of those encounters the child had received two or fewer vaccination injections at that visit. Immunisation providers are strongly encouraged to recommend co-administration of nirsevimab for all eligible children presenting for routine childhood vaccinations during May. If an age-eligible infant is not scheduled for a routine vaccination visit in May, providers should actively recall these vulnerable infants so they can be protected before RSV season begins. Read more from Prof Effler in this May GP Connect Clinical Feature.
The WA Primary Health Alliance Immunisation team is excited to announce we have launched our keenly awaited Immunisation Toolkit. The Immunisation Toolkit is located on the Practice Assist website and is a hub for all things regarding immunisations. There are plenty of resources, information and links to pages that you will need for an immunisation journey. Check out the Immunisation Toolkit here. For further information or support with immunisation, contact the Practice Assist Team or email WAPHA's Immunisation Team.
All cold chain breaches involving government funded vaccines must be reported to WA Health. For immunisation providers in the Perth metropolitan area, all cold chain breaches and vaccine wastage should now be reported online via this link. For vaccines to be safe and effective, they must be stored between +2°C and +8°C. Immunisation providers must report all temperature deviations below +2°C or above +8°C (excluding excursions above +8°C but less than +12°C for 15 minutes or less). All deviations below +2°C must be reported regardless of duration. If a cold chain breach occurs, place a sign on the refrigerator stating ‘DO NOT USE’. Retain and isolate all government vaccines until written advice is received from your local public health unit. Keep the vaccines refrigerated between +2 and +8 °C (with the refrigerator door closed) or transfer any affected stock to another monitored vaccine refrigerator (e.g. at another facility) to ensure it can be stored between +2 and +8 °C. If vaccines need to be transferred, ensure the cooler is packed appropriately following the National Vaccine Storage ‘Strive for 5’ Guidelines section 9.3 ‘How to pack a cooler’. Report the cold chain breach to the local public health unit. For Perth, this is the Boorloo (Perth) Public Health Unit (formerly Metropolitan Communicable Disease Control). For other locations in Western Australia Public Health Units can be found here. The Cold Chain Breach and Vaccine Wastage ONLINE form is only for breaches or wastage of government funded vaccines in metropolitan Perth. Immunisation providers outside of the Perth metropolitan region should continue to report cold chain breaches using the PDF ‘Cold chain breach (CCB) and vaccine wastage form – government funded vaccines’. For COVID-19 vaccine cold chain breaches, contact the Vaccine Operations Centre. For vaccine expiry, use the online expiry form. For private vaccines, contact the manufacturer. For more information, contact Boorloo Public Health Unit on 1300 623 292 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm).
The Victorian Department of Health has announced three new locally acquired cases of mpox (previously called monkeypox). We encourage health services and clinicians to be aware of potential cases of mpox in WA, and offer vaccination to those eligible. WA Health are monitoring the situation and more information will be provided to stakeholders and clinicians if the situation escalates. For more information on Mpox can be found here.
Vaccination providers all received an email this week from the Manager of the Immunisation Program regarding the supply of Shingrix in WA. Unfortunately we have exhausted all stock available. This shortage will only be temporary as we should have stock arriving before the end of May. To read the full statement, click here.
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All immunisation providers would have received notification of a small error on the outside Beyfortus 50mg in 0.5ml carton. Please note that the actual amount in the syringe is correct, it is simply a typographical error on the box. To read the statement, click here.
Join the Immunisation Coalition for a coordinated approach to improve Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV vaccination through primary care and pharmacy: an expert-focused multidisciplinary approach. This is the second webinar in a series of 3 looking at ways to improve vaccination rates. To register for this activity, simply:
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). Online attendance is unlimited. The meeting is ideal for GPs, practice nurses, specialists, pharmacists and other immunisation specialists. The program covers the following topics: a look into aged care, new vaccines for the elderly, adjuvanted vaccines, vaccinations in primary care and pharmacy, managing vaccine hesitancy, targeting at-risk populations, first nations people, etc. Register online.
A National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) will commence in Australia in 2025. Cancer Australia has commissioned the University of Melbourne to develop Program Guidelines to support the implementation and delivery of the NLCSP. As part of this project and to inform the development of the Program Guidelines, the University of Melbourne are speaking with a range of healthcare providers involved in the lung cancer screening and assessment pathway. These consultations will help them to develop the Program Guidelines, including recommendations, protocols, and practice points. If you want to be part of the consultation complete the online Expression of Interest form here.
Eligible Australians aged between 50 and 74 will receive a free National Bowel Cancer Screening Program kit in the mail, or can now collect from your practice. When it’s detected early, 9 out of 10 bowel cancer cases can be treated successfully. Patients often do not feel confident or comfortable to ask how to do the kit. This video can be shown to your patients to help them do their kit safely and effectively in the privacy of their own home. Bowel Screening Kit at home video
APNA ( Australian Practice Nurse Association) presented an informative webinar recently around Optimising Cervical Screening for People with Disabilities. A copy of the webinar is available here. This link will expire in 2 weeks, so please watch as soon as you can. They have produced the below helpful resources to support you in general practice:
BreastScreen WA's mobile screening unit will be returning to Armadale from 23 May to 23 August 2024. The unit will be located again at Hayne's Shopping Centre. Encourage your patients to book their free screening mammogram here, or call 13 20 50, if they live in the surrounding area. Whilst in the Armadale area, join BreastScreen WA at the Armadale Women's Health and Wellbeing Day which will coincide with the truck's visit to Armadale. Head to the Champion Centre and celebrate women, wellbeing, health, culture and community, with health checks, information, giveaways, activities, and food and drinks, all completely FREE. Event: Armadale Women's Health and Wellbeing Day Date: Tuesday 18 June 2024 Time: 10am-1pm Location: Champion Centre, 76 Champion Drive, Seville Grove
A new Provider Bulletin has been provided by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and includes the following updates:
The World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) has released a statement recommending the use of a monovalent JN.1 lineage as the preferred antigen in future formulations of COVID-19 vaccines. This shift away from the monovalent XBB.1.5 lineage that has been in recent use comes in response to publicly available datasets reporting nearly all currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants are JN.1-derived. In accordance with WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) policy, however, vaccination programs should continue to use any current registered COVID-19 vaccines – and vaccination should not be delayed in anticipation of access to vaccines with an updated composition. The TAG-CO-VAC meets every six months to assess the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 evolution and the performance of approved COVID-19 vaccines. Read more here.
The Scope of Practice Review has called for submissions in response to its Issues Paper 2. This independent review is looking at the available evidence about health professionals’ ability to deliver on their full scope of practice in primary care. The review is exploring the system changes and practical improvements needed to support greater productivity and improved, safe and affordable care for patients. Submissions are open until 26 May 2024.
The WA Department of Health and Genetic Health WA (GHWA; formerly the Genetic Services of Western Australia) invite you to provide feedback on GHWA’s draft inaugural service plan. GHWA provides genetic counselling, genetic testing, and family planning support for people impacted by certain genetic conditions. GHWA’s service plan aims to outline the future direction of the service and help to enhance the experience of those who use it. You can read the draft service plan and provide your feedback via a short survey here. All responses will remain confidential and will only be used to inform the final service plan. The consultation period closes on 31 May 2024. Please visit the GHWA website to find out more about the project.
The Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot was rolled out across Australia through 2022-23. Over 1,000 children were screened by a free, simple, finger prick dried bloodspot test to detect type 1 diabetes autoantibodies.
Health Professionals play a pivotal role in shaping the potential implementation of a nationwide screening program for type 1 diabetes among Australian children. Primary care providers, regardless of involvement in the Pilot, are invited to share their views and experiences about screening in a short online survey (5-10min). A $25 Prezzee e-Gift Card is offered upon completion. Closes Friday 31 May.
Take the survey here
Your valuable feedback will inform if and how type 1 diabetes screening should be offered as a national screening program to Australian children in the future.
If you have questions, contact the Pilot research team at info@KidsDiabetesScreen.com.au or phone 1800 505 909 (Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm AEST/AEDT), or visit the website.
The Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot is led by the University of Sydney, with collaborating universities and hospitals around Australia. It is funded by JDRF, a research foundation for type 1 diabetes. This study has been approved by the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: 2022/ETH00537).
National Palliative Care Week is just around the corner. This years theme ‘Matters of Life and Death’ aims to drive awareness and start important conversations about death and dying while recognising the people at the heart of delivering quality palliative care. A number of events and resources are available to attend and share in practice including:
At WA Primary Health Alliance, we are taking on an enhanced role in supporting the health and wellbeing of older Australians. The Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care measure aims to improve access to safe, quality palliative care at home. Enabling more people to receive the right care, in the right place at the right time. Find out more and access a range of other palliative care resources on our website here. Caring for people as they near the end of life is challenging. We are grateful for the dedication, passion, and skill of the palliative care workforce, carers, and volunteers.
The 26th of May is National Sorry Day where we acknowledge the grief, trauma and loss suffered by the Stolen Generations. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children removed from their families suffered significant trauma. Many children experienced harsh living conditions and treatment within institutions. Many never found their way home again. National Sorry Day reminds us of the impact this still has on the health and wellbeing of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders today. For more information visit the AIATSIS website.
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.
General practice staff 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). For further information or to register for an upcoming workshop, visit WAPHA’s suicide prevention webpage.
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. May IAR-DST training dates:
To find out more, view the May flyer or the WAPHA IAR-DST webpage.
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.
For the second year, the one day Peel Health Forum provides an opportunity to update your skills and knowledge while networking with other Peel primary care health professionals. Delivered by experts in their fields, including local health professionals, interactive discussions and case studies will fill the program. Soon to be released, the program will include the following and more:
We welcome all primary care health professionals particularly those practicing in the Peel Region. Learn more here and register
The fifth instalment of WA Primary Health Alliance’s Healthy Weight Masterclass webinar series will focus on supporting children and families living with a higher weight. As a result of this webinar, attendees should have:
Find out more and register today.
The South West Healthy Weight ‘Beyond the scales’ workshop will provide information about the programs, strategies, training and resources available to GPs and health care professionals that can support healthy lifestyle changes with their clients. As a result of this workshop, attendees should be able to: