30 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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On Wednesday 1 May 2024, the Goldfields Health Professionals Network hosted the Beyond BMI education event in Kalgoorlie, which featured a series of presentations by subject matter experts on a range of topics related to person-centred weight management care for health professionals. Andrea Vermeersch, Healthy Weight Program Coordinator at WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA), explained that the event brought together health professionals from various fields to discuss weight management topics, including weight stigma and bias, person-centred care, GLP-1 agonist medications, referral pathways, community-based services and the Kalgoorlie Integrated Chronic Disease Care (ICDC) program. “The event demonstrated a collaborative effort to change the narrative around weight. With GPs, medical students, allied health professionals and staff from WAPHA and WACHS in attendance, the event highlighted a collaborative interest in improving patient health and wellbeing outcomes,” Ms Vermeersch said. During the event, Ms Vermeersch delivered a presentation on the SHAPE (Supporting Holistic and Person-centred Weight Education) website and the Conversations About Weight eLearning modules to support GPs and primary healthcare clinicians. SHAPE provides comprehensive resources and training modules designed to enhance dialogue between GPs and patients, fostering informed decisions and person centred weight management strategies. The SHAPE eLearning modules provide practical guidance on effective weight management conversations, ensuring clinicians are well-equipped to support their patients living with weight-related concern. “Through the shared vision of person-centred weight management, it is evident the Goldfields is passionate about compassionate, person-centred weight management care, ensuring that every sensitive, yet important conversation, is a step towards better health and wellbeing outcomes,” Ms Vermeersch said. For further information about the Beyond BMI education event or ways your practice can assist patients with weight concerns, call Practice Assist on 1800 2 ASSIST (1800 2 277 478 or 08 6278 7900) or email practiceassist@wapha.org.au
Left to right WAPHA personnel: Andrea Vermeersch (Healthy Weight Program Coordinator), Misty Carey (Program Improvement Coordinator - Population Health) and Raelene Craft (Quality Improvement Coach – Goldfields)
WA Primary Health Alliance’s Suicide Prevention Team has released a new, informative fact sheet to help general practice teams consider how their practice’s access to care, systems, policies, procedures, training and education can assist patients with mental health concerns. With general practitioners recognised as the health professionals accessed most often by people experiencing mental health issues and/or engaging in suicidal behaviour1, the fact sheet provides a range of practical examples that can be implemented within practices to assist patients. The fact sheet also lists additional services and resources for practice teams to seek further information. View or download the Assisting patients in general practice with mental health concerns fact sheet from the Practice Assist website. 1. Stene-Larsen K, Reneflot A. Contact with primary and mental health care prior to suicide: A systematic review of the literature from 2000 to 2017. Scand J Public Health. 2019 Feb;47(1):9-17.
An eighth Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) for WA has been confirmed in Armadale to provide treatment for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries requiring same day assessment for people who may otherwise have visited an emergency department. As with all Medicare UCCs, the clinic will bulk bill, be open seven days a week and accept walk in patients. Clinics are already operational in Morley, Rockingham, Clarkson, Beeliar, Bunbury, Midland and Broome. They are part of a national Australian Government initiative to establish 87 Medicare UCCs nationally, offering vital, timely and affordable health care to thousands of Australians. WA Primary Health Alliance is responsible for coordinating the EOI processes and supporting selected practices to establish their clinics. Accredited general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services located in Armadale and surrounding suburbs will receive more details on the EOI and next steps imminently. Read the full announcement here.
While most people would find it easy to name things that can help them stay physically healthy, such as a balanced diet, exercise, or regular health checks, what they can do to look after their mental health may not be quite so obvious.
In this month's Better Health, Together video, WA Primary Health Alliance CEO, Learne Durrington, recently had the pleasure of talking to Professor Nick Titov, Executive Director of MindSpot about The Big 5, an evidence-based tool that everyone can use to nurture and improve their mental health. Thankfully, it turns out there are five simple things which can become building blocks or a road map for our mental health if we establish them as a regular part of our routine:
Most people are already doing The Big 5, they just might not be doing them enough, because, as Professor Titov explains, the magic is in the frequency. Download a copy of the Big 5 for practice staff or patients and find out more at mindspot.org.au.
Head to Health sites are evolving to become Medicare Mental Health Centres by the end of 2024. The enhanced model of care will enable people with more severe and complex needs to also receive the care they need from a range of mental health professionals, including psychologists and psychiatrists. This is in addition to people with low to moderate mental health needs who are currently able to be cared for at a Head to Health site. All current sites and services will continue to operate as usual during and after the transition, offering free mental health support with no appointment, referral or Medicare card needed. To ensure sufficient clinical capacity to support this enhanced level of care safely and appropriately, the Australian Government is funding a new tele-psychology and tele-psychiatry service that will be available at all existing and planned sites. Additionally, Medicare Mental Health Centre staff will be able to access free secondary consultations with psychiatrists through the national GP Psychiatry Support Line to receive advice on diagnosis, treatment and medication safety. GPs can call Head to Health on 1800 595 212 for advice and a referral to the most appropriate service. This may be a referral into a Medicare Mental Health Centre, or another suitable service.
Emerging Minds Families has released a new collection of resources aimed at building the understanding and confidence of parents, family members and other adults to support children’s mental health and wellbeing. This suite of online resources includes a new animation, fact sheets, videos and podcast about four key topics in children’s mental health:
View the complete collection here.
Do you know a person, team or practice who goes above and beyond to improve the health of their community? Nominate them for a Stronger Medicare Award! The Stronger Medicare Awards honour and recognise our Medicare Champions who:
Nominations close on 30 June 2024.
Nominate now for the Stronger Medicare Awards!
From Monday 13 May 2024, Referral Access Criteria for Rheumatology (adult) and Endocrinology & Diabetes (paediatric) WA public outpatient services became mandatory. Referral Access Criteria (RAC) are clinical criteria developed by Specialist Heads of Department, Consultants and General Practitioners that outline the mandatory history, examination and investigations required within a referral to support effective outpatient triaging and maximise the value of your patient’s first outpatient appointment. The purpose of the RAC is to improve access for those most in need and ensure every appointment adds value. Each RAC also includes examples of presenting issues, a list of excluded outpatient conditions and indicative triage categories for various conditions. RAC are being introduced in a staged approach for outpatient specialties. RAC are now mandatory for ENT (adult and paediatric), Direct Access Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Urology, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Rheumatology and Endocrinology & Diabetes (paediatric). To learn more, please access the RAC via Department of Health website – (www.health.wa.gov.au/RAC). “It is important to ensure all mandatory information under the RAC is attached when making a referral to our service. If a referring clinician sends us a referral with missing information, then the referral is likely to be rejected, or the patient may be placed on a lengthy waitlist. If all the pathology and imaging are included in a referral, then the patient is likely to be seen sooner. The RAC enables referring clinicians and our service to work together, ensuring patients are seen more quickly.” – Dr Helen Keen, Head of Department, Rheumatology
The Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) invites you to Unite Against RSV and join RSV Awareness Week 2024 from 2-8 June. Following their inaugural RSV Awareness Week, the theme this year for RSV Awareness Week 2024 is ‘I Support RSV Protection’. IFA is calling on Australians from all walks of life to share why they support protection against severe RSV-related illness. A range of RSV Awareness Week materials are available to help your organisation get involved. The RSV Awareness Week 2024 Campaign Kit is now available on IFA’s website.
Immunisation providers are strongly encouraged to recommend co-administration of nirsevimab (Beyfortus) for all eligible children presenting for routine childhood vaccinations. If an age-eligible infant is not scheduled for a routine vaccination, providers should actively recall these vulnerable infants so they can be protected before RSV season begins. Professor Paul Effler, Senior Medical Advisor from the Department of Health advised the webinar attendees at last week’s WA Immunisation Schedule webinar, hosted by WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA), that not all opportunities for co-administration are being acted upon. He also provided an article on co-administration to WAPHA’s GP Connect. View full article here.
From 1 May to 30 June 2024, participating immunisation providers (general practices, community pharmacies, Aboriginal Medical Services, nurse practitioner clinics, corporate vaccination service providers and community health clinics) can administer free state-funded influenza vaccines to people aged 5 to 64 years who are not otherwise eligible for a vaccine under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) outlined in the accordion above. In addition, interstate/international visitors and those without a Medicare card are also eligible for a state funded influenza vaccine from 1 May to 30 June 2024. Note:
The Free Influenza Vaccine Program May and June 2024 provides the FluQuadri vaccine. Influenza vaccines ordered for this Program should not be administered to NIP-eligible people, and vice-versa.
Free influenza vaccines can be ordered via the Onelink portal (external site). Providers without a Onelink account may apply for an account using the Onelink account application form (external site). More information is available on the Vaccine ordering webpage.
The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, NCIRS and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) invite you to register for our online course in vaccinology and immunisation science. This course aimed at GPs and nurses will consist of eight online sessions delivered fortnightly on Wednesdays – which will cover a wide range of topics, as follows:
The sessions will be led by internationally recognised experts and will include an interactive element, allowing participants to contribute and ask questions. The registration fee for the full course is AU$200. Registration is free for students (undergraduate and postgraduate), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare workers. Full details, including learning outcomes for each session, are available on the course website.
The Immunisation Coalition’s 8th Annual Immunisation Forum (AIF) will take place at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Brisbane on June 14, 2024. The AIF immediately follows the Public Health Association of Australia’s Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference. Online attendance of the AIF is unlimited and free. The following topics will be covered among others: new vaccines for the elderly, use of adjuvanted vaccines, delivering vaccinations in primary care and pharmacy, managing vaccine hesitancy, and developments in vaccination during pregnancy. This forum is intended for GPs, practice nurses, pharmacists, and other immunisation specialists. Please click here to view the forum sessions and register to attend.
Aimed at GPs and nurses the first two webinars in the series are now available to view. Each webinar is an update of the previous month with the panel discussion focusing on how the influenza, COVID-19 and RSV season is progressing and strategies around increasing vaccination rates. Learning outcomes from the series:
View the webinars here. You can also register for the third webinar in the series which is on 19 June 2024.
Two campaigns are commencing in 2024 to promote cervical screening and the self-collection option for cervical screening. The campaigns will target women and people with a cervix who are from First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse communities and patients with a disability. The Department of Health and Aged Care expects the campaigns will lead to increased demand for cervical screening and particularly the self-collect option, particularly as self-collection may be a more sensitive and acceptable option for under-screened patients. Practices are encouraged to speak to their pathology labs and order self-collection swabs, so they are ready to offer their patients the choice. As part of the campaign work several webinars are being offered to healthcare providers: The RACGP will be running webinars on optimising cervical screening for people with disability and supporting equity in your practice:
ACPCC also has CPD accredited online learning modules available as well as healthcare provider and consumer facing resources. More information is available at www.acpcc.org.au/self-collection-campaign.
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program's eligible population is informed by the Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention, early detection, and management of colorectal cancer. These guidelines are based on the latest scientific evidence and consider appropriate age for population screening. Recently the National Health and Medical Research Council endorsed updates to these guidelines, including the recommendation to offer population bowel cancer screening to people from the age of 45. There was no change to the upper age limit of 74. The Government has announced that from 1 July 2024 it is lowering the eligible screening age for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program from 50 to 45. This means that people aged 45 to 49 can now join the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program by requesting their first free bowel cancer screening kit at www.ncsr.gov.au/boweltest. People aged 50 to 74 will continue to automatically receive a bowel screening kit in the mail every 2 years. Test kits for all eligible people (45 to 74) are then automatically mailed every 2 years after the last screening test is completed. People aged 45 to 74 can also ask their doctor about getting a kit. Healthcare providers can bulk order program kits and issue them to eligible patients via the Program’s alternative access to kits model.
The National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) is a single electronic record for each Australian taking part in the bowel and cervical screening programs. It supports these life-saving programs by inviting and reminding eligible people to screen, as well as creating a safety net by prompting participants and their healthcare providers to take the next steps on their screening journey. The Healthcare Provider Portal provides a self-service alternative for health professionals to access and submit screening data for the bowel and cervical screening programs. The NCSR has developed a non-proprietary and standardised common interface which allows you to integrate your clinical software (excluding lab software). This allows you to seamlessly access and report clinical data for the bowel and cervical screening programs from the patient management software you use on a daily basis. For further information on integration into your software package click here.
COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations and wastewater indicators are increasing in WA and in the week ending 12 May 2024, 606 COVID-19 PCR positive cases were notified, an increase of 24 per cent in comparison to the previous week. Influenza and RSV notifications remain at inter-seasonal levels but are expected to increase soon. Health care workers are reminded to:
More information is available in the WA Health Infectious diseases Health Alert for Primary Care here.
To promote the importance of COVID-19 booster vaccinations, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Disability Advisory Committee have produced easy-to-read flyers for patients and disability providers on COVID-19 boosters:
The Department of Health and Aged Care has released a new poster for healthcare providers that shows the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses currently recommended for each age and population group. Access the resource here.
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. You can show your support this 27 May to 3 June by downloading and displaying the official National Reconciliation Week resources. With posters, virtual meeting backgrounds, web banners, social tiles, there are many resources for you to show your support at within your practice and in your community.
In a vibrant display of solidarity and commitment to reconciliation, WA Primary Health Alliance is proud to again participate in the National Reconciliation Week Street Banner Project adorning streets throughout WA - a powerful visual reminder of our shared journey towards healing and understanding. This annual initiative held during National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June), celebrates the rich cultures and histories of Aboriginal people, while also acknowledging the need for continued efforts to bridge the gap and build meaningful relationships with Aboriginal peoples and communities. Featuring emerging and talented Aboriginal artist, Renita Brown Nungurrayi, the artwork symbolises ‘Mina Mina’, a significant woman’s dreaming site, as passed down to her by her mother, who received it from her mother, and so on. Renita lives with her father’s Luritja family on Papunya Country in the Northern Territory but often visits her Warlpiri mother’s extended family at Balgo in WA. The ‘Mina Mina’ story Renita paints belongs to her Warlpiri side. Renita’s artwork and the WAPHA sponsored Street Banners will be flying high this week at:
Interacting with GPs and other primary care services is often difficult for Stolen Generations survivors, as everyday events can trigger the original trauma of forced removal, particularly if a situation brings back the lack of control Stolen Generations survivors experienced when they were taken from their families. Developed in collaboration with Stolen Generations survivors and peak bodies including the RACGP and the Australian Dental Association, The Healing Foundation has launched a new resource providing essential context and useful tools to assist GPs to identify and understand the impacts of trauma for their patients. Download Working with the Stolen Generations: understanding trauma here.
Developed by Edith Cowan University, Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet is a comprehensive internet resource that informs practice and policy in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health by making up to date research and other knowledge readily accessible via any platform. Working in the area of knowledge exchange with a population health focus, the HealthInfoNet contributes to closing the gap in health between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians through enabling health practitioners and policy makes to make decisions based on the best available evidence. Access the portal here.
June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and it brings the positive message, “save lives through early detection” - because bowel cancer is one of the most curable types of cancer if found early.
Bowel cancer is cancer in any part of the large bowel (colon or rectum). It is sometimes known as colorectal cancer. In most cases, the cancer is confined to the bowel for months or years before spreading. The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program aims to improve early detection.
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer affecting people in Australia. There will be 299 Australians diagnosed with bowel cancer this week! (15,531 people per year).
The treatments for bowel cancers include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of these. A person’s prognosis depends on the type and stage of cancer, as well as their age and general health at the time of diagnosis. People diagnosed with bowel cancer before 70 years old can have their tumour screened for Lynch syndrome to see if they carry the genetic mutation.
The risk of bowel cancer can be reduced by not smoking, having a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, limiting consumption of red meat, avoiding processed meats, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy body weight and regular screening after 50 years of age. For more information visit www.cancer.org.au.
Education & Events
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. June IAR-DST training dates:
To find out more, download the June flyer or visit the WAPHA IAR-DST webpage.
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 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:
Find out more and register today.
The Festival of Nursing is an annual conference for nurses and this year it is being held in Adelaide from 25 to 27 July. Celebrate the profession's achievements and innovations through engaging educational workshops, keynote speeches and networking opportunities. Connect with peers, gain insights and empower your nursing practice at an event dedicated to health care excellence. To find out more, visit the Festival of Nursing webpage Click on this link to get a 10% discount on 3-day tickets for nurses in WA (until 22 June)
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.
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.