13 June 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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As part of the Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) Pilot Project, WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) has partnered with the WA branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia to integrate non-dispensing pharmacists into the multidisciplinary teams within two general practices in Geraldton.
Midwest Aero Medical left to right Eric Noel, Stacey Stewart, Fiona Alexander and Dr Shaun Millns Sizer
Midwest Aero Medical left to right Eric Noel, Stacey Stewart, Fiona Alexander and Dr Shaun Millns Sizer Dr Shaun Millns-Sizer from Midwest Aero Medical explained that their team has been reviewing practice data through Primary Sense to identify CHF patients who have been recently discharged, recently diagnosed or previously identified as living with the condition to provide a multidisciplinary care approach, in collaboration with the non-dispensing pharmacist and Geraldton Health Campus.
“Using the telehealth model, Susan Shipway, the non-dispensing pharmacist, and our GPs have been improving medication optimisation and titration plans to ensure CHF patients receive the best possible treatment. Susan has also been providing patients with education about CHF, enabling them to manage their condition more effectively to reduce hospital readmissions,” Mr Millns-Sizer said.
In recognition of the unique telehealth service that Ms Shipway has been providing for CHF patients in regional WA, she was recently named the 2024 WA Pharmacist of the Year.
Panaceum Medical left to right Naina Paul, Michelle Dillon, Janesca Lewis (WAPHA), Mel Hopewell (WAPHA), Dr Gavin Marcus, Dr Murray James Wallace, Demelza Mitchell, Dr Gayathri Arachilage, Simon Benge (WAPHA)
Michelle Dillon, Panaceum Medical Clinical Services and Collaborative Care Manager said that their team has been focusing on quality improvement of internal and external processes to identify recently discharged patients within the recommended timeframe. This is to optimise outcomes and reduce rates of readmission, in collaboration with the non-dispensing pharmacist and Geraldton Heath Campus.
“Our non-dispensing pharmacist, Naina Paul, provides regular GP education sessions, medication reconciliation and management, medication dosage titration and adjustment. She also provides education to CHF patients, along with supporting and enhancing chronic disease management plans,” Ms Dillon said.
The team at Panaceum Medical is also producing a range of resources focused on CHF for clinical staff to optimise multidisciplinary care, including allied health services, treatment and management.
For further information about how your practice can assist patients with CHF, call Practice Assist on 1800 2 ASSIST (1800 2 277 478 or 08 6278 7900) or email practiceassist@wapha.org.au
To better support older Australians living in residential aged care to receive continuous, quality primary care services from a regular general practice and GP, a new MyMedicare General Practice in Aged Care Incentive will begin from 1 August 2024. Practices will be able to register for the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive through the MyMedicare program from 1 July 2024. Eligible providers and practices registered with MyMedicare will be able to receive quarterly incentive payments for meeting the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive eligibility and servicing requirements.
Practices and providers may be eligible to receive payments under both the PIP GP ACAI and the MyMedicare General Practice in Aged Care Incentive for services delivered while both programs are active, if they meet the specific eligibility and servicing requirements of both programs.
For further information regarding eligibility and servicing requirements, please visit the new webpage and factsheet on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website. For future updates and important announcements, subscribe to our Practice Connect and Aged Care Connect newsletters. You can also contact Practice Assist on 1800 2 ASSIST (1800 2 277 478 or 08 6278 7900) or email practiceassist@wapha.org.au for more information and guidance.
The Strengthening Medical General Practice grants program is fast approaching completion on 30 June 2024.
This is your last month to spend your funds, please reach out to your Primary Care Navigator or practiceassist@wapha.org.au to discuss options you may consider to ensure you spend the funds prior to 30 June 2024.
New guidance on how to spend your grant funding under each investment stream has been provided - GP Grants Investment Stream Activities Guidance.
Once the practice has spent all the funds, you are required to complete an online financial acquittal form, listing Grant funding expenditure and an online self-evaluation form to indicate how the grant has improved the practice in line with the Program objectives. The links to the forms can be found below:
Tax time is almost here again, so it’s time to start digging out those receipts. Or, if you used the ATO’s myDeductions tool, all you’ll need to do is use your device of choice. Here are a couple of things to remember:
Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said the Albanese Government is providing support for Australians to quit vaping and smoking, with new Government advertising campaigns and updated quit support services. The $63.4 million 'Give Up For Good' campaign includes four separate but complementary creative approaches which will raise awareness of the health harms of smoking and vaping, and encourage Australians to take advantage of newly expanded quit support services. Read the full media release here.
To mark the 40th anniversary of Medicare, the Stronger Medicare Awards will recognise our Medicare Champions who have worked to improve the health of their community. If you know of an outstanding person, team or practice that goes above and beyond to improve the health of others, show your recognition and nominate them for the Stronger Medicare Awards. The finalists will receive an invitation to attend the award ceremony in Canberra in November 2024. Don’t miss out, nominations for the Stronger Medicare Awards close on Sunday 30 June 2024. To nominate a Medicare Champion, visit the Stronger Medicare Awards webpage.
CareSearch is an Australian Government funded National Palliative Care project providing trustworthy evidence-based information and resources on palliative care. We recently released the CareSearchgp app, a free digital tool to support GPs to deliver palliative care. The app brings together guidance on terminal prescribing for specific symptoms and evidence-based information on key care issues including:
Interactive features include a checklist to support dying at home and the ability to curate your own learning resources and send links to quality information to individual patients. Find out more.
The Australian Contraception and Abortion Primary Care Practitioner Support (AusCAPPS) Network has 2 toolkits for GPs, practice nurses, nurse practitioners, midwives, pharmacists, and practice and pharmacy support staff to use when discussing early medical abortion (EMA) with patients.
1. Communicating with patients about medical abortion in primary care - includes tips on language to use, content to discuss and resources to recommend to patients for additional information or support
2. MS-2 Step: Frequently Asked Questions - to support clinicians when answering patients' questions about EMA.
Join AusCAPPS Network to get free access to their Resource Library.
Immunisation providers are reminded that all infants born on or after 1 October 2023 entering their first RSV season are eligible to receive free RSV immunisation until the end of the program on 30 September 2024. From 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024, nirsevimab should be offered:
In addition:
Please visit the RSV immunisation (health.wa.gov.au) website for more information.
Posters have been developed to support the implementation of the 2024 WA Health RSV Infant Immunisation Program roll out. To date, 11,200 doses of nirsevimab immunisations have been administered to eligible WA children and infants. While this is very positive, immunisation providers are urged to continue efforts to promote this immunisation to all eligible groups. These posters have been sent to general practices, Aboriginal Medical Services and community immunisation clinics state-wide. Additional copies are now available to order from the Department of Health Quickmail warehouse.
Join Immunisation Coalition for a webinar providing an overview of RSV epidemiology, disease burden and an update to new RSV vaccines and monoclonal antibody TGA Registrations and their availability. Consideration is given to the introduction of these preventatives including ATAGI recommendations, surveillance, education and advocacy. This information will be of interest to healthcare professionals providing care to pregnant women, young children, and older people. In particular, the webinar will be of interest to those healthcare professionals who are involved in the delivery of immunisation services. Register here.
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care recently launched its 2024 influenza vaccination campaign to raise awareness of the serious risks of influenza and the benefits of vaccination. New video advertisements have been developed as part of the campaign to raise awareness of the seriousness of influenza, including during pregnancy and in children under 5 years of age. Health professionals’ recommendations and advice play an important role in patients’ vaccination decisions. Health professionals are encouraged to promote and display the campaign materials in patient-facing areas. View the campaign website here.
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care is seeking feedback via an online survey on the 2025–2030 National Immunisation Strategy, closing at 11:59 p.m. (AEST) on Wednesday 19 June 2024. The public consultation is based on the document - Towards a National Immunisation Strategy 2025-2030 – which proposes a vision, mission, priority areas, and opportunities for action for the next Strategy. To access further information and to complete the survey, click here.
The 8th Annual Immunisation Forum (AIF) hybrid event will take place at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Brisbane on June 14, 2024. 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 and addressing the vaccine gap of first nations peoples. Please click here to view the program To register for the online event, please click here.
A coordinated approach to improve Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV vaccination through primary care and pharmacy: an expert-focused multidisciplinary approach. There are 3 webinars in this webinar series. 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.
To register for this activity, simply download the CPD HCP app on your phone or tablet or use the website here.
Cancer Council WA have developed a free online learning module tailored to primary healthcare professionals, such as GPs, nurses, and Aboriginal Health Workers. Split into two units, this module aims to define your role in bowel cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and screening, offering practical tips and case studies to support your learning as a healthcare worker.
*This self-paced module is accredited for two CPD hours with the RACGP. Register and start your learning journey here today.
Globally, population-based cancer screening programs face low participation rates, highlighting the need for effective interventions according to a recent article published for Primary Health care Research and Development. General practices are pivotal in encouraging screening but encounter engagement barriers. A systematic review examined 49 studies from 2010 to 2023, identifying multi-component interventions as most effective. These interventions included audit and feedback, provider reminders, practice-facilitated assessment and improvement, and patient education across all screening programs. Providing screening kits at point-of-care and implementing a 'whole-of-practice approach' with a 'practice champion' were effective strategies. Building on these findings, the Cancer Screening PDSAs are accredited activities that incorporate various successful interventions highlighted in this study such as auditing patient records and providing reminder prompts. Read the full article here. Practices can register for these activities for free.
This session presented by the RACGP in partnership with the Daffodil Centre and the Centre for Disability Studies will explore cervical screening barriers for patients with a disability, including those with an intellectual or cognitive disability. This session is presented by cervical screening experts Professor Deborah Bateson and Dr Lara Roeske with Tricia Malowney, a disability advocate who has post-polio syndrome. They will discuss screening barriers and strategies to support patients in screening, providing a range of tools and resources that can be built into practice. For more information and to register click here.
Did you miss the Cancer Screening webinar hosted by WAPHA? The presentation gave an overview of all the national screening programs:
And also a rundown of the National Cancer Screening Registry. View the webinar recording here.
The WA Cervical Cancer Prevention Program (WACCPP) Have a suite of resources, including posters that you can order for display in your general practice. They also have brochures and factsheets available to order. Check out their ranges of resources and order here: Resource order form - WA Cervical Cancer Prevention Program
COVID-19 cases continue to increase in WA and in the week ending 26 May 2024, 650 COVID-19 PCR positive cases were notified, an increase of 20 per cent in comparison to the previous week. Influenza notifications also increased but remained below the seasonal threshold. Administering COVID-19 vaccines with the influenza immunisation can increase uptake and improve protection against both diseases. Professor Paul Kelly, Head of the interim Australian Centre for Disease Control, and Professor Nigel Crawford, Chair of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, recently hosted a webinar for vaccination providers on the 2024 influenza season and respiratory illnesses. A recording is now available to watch here. More information about COVID-19 vaccination and advice on co-administration can be found in the Australian Immunisation Handbook. For further assistance please contact gpvaccination@wapha.org.au
The Youth Pride Network's public surveys for the upcoming State of Play Report are now live! These surveys aim to capture the experiences of young LGBTIQA+ individuals within Western Australia's healthcare system.
The insights gathered from these surveys will play a crucial role in identifying both the challenges and opportunities within the healthcare system. Specifically, they will help in understanding access issues, barriers to services, attitudes of healthcare providers, inclusion levels, educational needs, policy gaps, and overall outcomes for young LGBTIQA+ individuals.
The State of Play Report will offer actionable recommendations tailored for healthcare practices, institutions, and governmental bodies. These recommendations are designed to improve the inclusivity and well-being of young LGBTIQA+ individuals as they navigate the healthcare system in Western Australia.
The public surveys are open to all healthcare workers in WA – Survey Link.
The surveys will remain open until 30 June 2024, and each participant will be entered into a draw to win one of three $100 gift vouchers.
This Men’s Health Week offers a time to pause and reflect on the health challenges facing the men in our lives, with this year’s focus being Men’s Health Checks.
Male life expectancy is, on average, four years shorter than females, and they are more likely to suffer from lifestyle-related health conditions than women of the same age. Sadly, men also have a four times higher risk of dying by suicide.
On top of this, research has revealed that two thirds of men who are struggling or in crisis, don’t feel confident and empowered enough to ask for help. That’s why this Men’s Health Week we are encouraging everyone to look out for the signs that a man in their life is struggling, and to reach out and ask, "Are you OK?".
For more detailed information about the signs someone might be struggling and how to have an R U OK? conversation visit the R U OK? How to Ask page.
If a conversation is too big for you or you need additional support, visit the R U OK? Find Help page.
For more information or to get involved, check out the R U OK? video on speaking to a mate.
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 6th webinar in WA Primary Health Alliance’s Healthy Weight Masterclass Series will focus on effective yarning for healthy weight management care. Guest speaker, Tania Woods, from Mudlarks Indigenous Support Coordination will discuss the challenges, protocols and practices for successfully engaging with Aboriginal patients about their weight, and empowering them to make their own decisions in relation to health, wellbeing and diet. 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.