Issue 210 - 19 December 2024
Welcome to Practice Connect, a fortnightly update for practice managers, principals, nurses and administration staff on relevant issues, upcoming events and education.
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In Western Australia the use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) continues to have an impact on the physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing of everyone in the community, particularly during the busy festive period. According to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-23, one in three Western Australians drank alcohol at levels that put their health at risk and one in five Western Australians had used an illicit drug in the past 12 months. While a time of celebration for many, this time of the year can also bring financial pressures, problematic family issues and other emotional stressors. It can be a difficult for many people, particularly those experiencing or recovering from AOD issues. The RACGP has developed whole of practice resources designed for GPs, practice nurses, practice managers and reception staff and outlines ways to facilitate best practice outcomes for patients who use alcohol and drugs. Region specific information to assist clinicians with patient assessment, management, and referral pathways relating to alcohol and drugs is available on Clinician Assist WA, including the recently reviewed Alcohol Intervention clinical pathway. For GPs seeking to upskill in AOD, the RACGP also offers the following online modules available via gplearning:
Patients who are concerned about their own or someone else’s AOD use can be directed to free, 24/7 drug and alcohol counselling, information and referrals at the Alcohol and Drug Support Service funded by the WA Mental Health Commission. It is important that all members of the general practice team prioritise self-care during this busy and often stressful time of year. Head to Health offers some simple tips for everyone at your practice to maintain their wellbeing and access to support if needed. R U OK? have also produced free tips and practical tools to increase peer support during the holiday season. ‘Tis the season to be asking R U OK? encourages all of us to meaningfully connect with those in our world who may be struggling. GPs can find additional help to care for themselves, their colleagues and their patients on Clinician Assist WA.
Family, domestic and sexual violence (FDSV) is a significant public health issue across Australia and research shows that periods of heightened stress, such as Christmas and holiday shutdowns can intensify abusive behaviour. GPs can provide a trusted and safe environment for their patients to disclose experiences of FDSV and for practice staff to connect them to vital specialist services. The Family and Domestic Violence pathway on Clinician Assist outlines information on assessment and management of FDSV victim survivors and their families. If it is not an emergency, a comprehensive list of state and national support services are available on the State Government’s Family and Domestic Violence Help and Advice page. This includes 24-hour support lines, legal and support services for Aboriginal patients’, services for children and young people and services for people from multicultural backgrounds. If you are assisting someone who does not speak English, first call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 13 14 50. They can connect you with the service of your choice and interpret for you. The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing has developed a family and domestic violence service directory including crisis accommodation, counselling, places to go for help (including one stop hubs) and outreach services). The Directory also provides information about services led by Aboriginal or CaLD organisations See the WA Police website for more information on how to report domestic and family violence to the police.
The holiday period can bring with it a heightened state of emotion and potential increased risks for patients and practice staff. It’s important that you move into the holiday period ensuring you stay vigilant which will help you to keep your family and patients safe this holiday season.
This past year we continued to prioritise our efforts and investment towards achieving health equity, while ensuring best value for money through commissioning integrated primary health care services that build capacity, capability and sustainability, and measurably improve health outcomes. Enjoy the highlights in our Year in Review 2023-24 as we reflect on our collective impact over the past year through integration, collaboration and innovation as we work towards achieving health equity. You can also read about our progress towards our health priorities in our Activity Snapshot 2023-24 and Cultural Competency, Equity and Inclusion Snapshot 2023-24. Our strength is in our stakeholder networks across the state, and how we can innovate and work together to improve health equity for our under-served communities and it promises to be another exciting and impactful year ahead.
Thank you to all of WA’s wonderful general practice teams for their ongoing dedication to delivering high quality patient care. We wish you and your families a safe and happy festive season and look forward to continuing to work with you in 2025.
In a recent interview, our CEO, Learne Durrington, spoke with Associate Director, Strategy and Clinical Innovation, Kate Fulford, and Dr. Priya Krishnan from Pramana Medical Centre, who have embraced a multidisciplinary team care approach at their practice. Kate Fulford and Dr. Priya Krishnan shared their insights on the transformative impact of multidisciplinary care, emphasising the importance of collaboration to achieve the best outcomes for patients. Watch here!
Festive wishes from the team at Practice Assist, may we take this time to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe holiday over this period.
To get you started for 2025, the Primary Care Navigator team have created a General Practice 2025 Year Planner that includes important dates to remind you of just some of the following:
The General Practice 2025 Year Planner has been created as a fillable PDF that allows you to customise it to your practice needs.
The Practice Assist service will be closed from 5pm Tuesday 24 December 2024 and will reopen on Thursday 2 January 2025 at 8am.
As some practices may shut down for the festive season or be working with reduced staff resulting in limited appointments. We have included the link to Find a Medical Urgent Care Clinic Near you for further support.
The Primary Sense emails will not be monitored from 5pm Tuesday 24 December 2024 and will reopen on Thursday 2 January 2025 at 8am, any emails received during this time will be actioned upon our return. For any other enquiries during the shutdown period please contact Practice Assist via email practiceassist@wapha.org.au, all emails received during this time will be actioned upon our return.
The Department of Health and Aged Care is allowing Practices to backdate their MyMedicare registered patients’ GPACI registration so that the care provided since 1 July 2024 can be accurately captured in the GPACI eligibility assessment.
During each quarterly assessment, the previous three quarters are also reassessed. After practices have backdated their patients’ GPACI registration, if the next quarterly reassessment process determines they met all the eligibility criteria, practices and providers will be assessed as having an underpayment and will get a GPACI payment for the relevant assessment period/s.
The new Understanding Medicare: Provider Handbook is designed to help health care professionals build a solid fundamental knowledge of Medicare functions and principles. The handbook is a plain English resource that introduces the basic concepts of the Medicare program and aims to:
For further information, download the Understanding Medicare: Provider Handbook.
Nidjalla Waangan Mia, a health service for Aboriginal patients in the Mandurah and Peel region, has integrated a nurse practitioner into its multidisciplinary team as part of the Nurse Practitioner Pilot, implemented by the WA Department of Health and WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA). Kim Wilkinson, Site Manager at Nidjalla Waangan Mia, explained that the addition of a nurse practitioner has enhanced their team’s ability to provide a comprehensive range of culturally appropriate primary care services to the clinic’s Aboriginal patients. "Teamwork makes the dream work and Rachael has already become a vital part of our passionate team by providing generalist nurse practitioner services and undertaking quality improvement activities, which have led to increased practice efficiency and improved population health outcomes,” Mrs Wilkinson said. The team at Nidjalla Waangan Mia has also been busy putting up Christmas decorations in the reception area and throughout the clinic to create a welcoming and inviting environment for their patients during the festive season. “We’ve decorated the clinic like this to lift people’s spirits and share some of our Christmas cheer because we acknowledge this time of year can be stressful for some patients,” Mrs Wilkinson said. To find out more about integrating a nurse practitioner into your practice, email WAPHA’s Quality Improvement team via qi@wapha.org.au or Practice Assist via practiceassist@wapha.org.au
A big thank you to all the general practices that shared a good news story during 2024. We love showcasing the success, innovation and dedication of hardworking practice teams across WA. If you have a story that you would like to share about your practice in 2025, contact your local Primary Care Navigator, Practice QI Coach or email practiceassist@wapha.org.au
WA Primary Health Alliance is delighted to advise of a one-off grant opportunity that has recently gone live. This Homelessness Support Grants Program provides funds to support access to primary health care for people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homeless in Perth North, Perth South and Country WA PHNs. The grant will allow effective and sustainable changes to be made within organisations to better meet the primary health care needs of people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness. Successful applicants will have a 12 month period to complete approved activities. In Perth metro this grant is open for applications from organisations who currently work with and deliver primary care services specifically for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. In Country WA this grant is open for applications from organisations that currently work with and deliver services specifically for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness; and organisations that do not currently work with, or deliver services specifically targeting this population, but provide primary care services, or are seeking to provide services to people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Find out more here Homelessness Support Grants Program.
The Medical Board of Australia has notified the RACGP that all doctors must complete 2024 CPD requirements in the 2024 calendar year and a grace period will no longer be available.
However, GPs will still be able to finalise recording of CPD activities completed by 31 December 2024 until 28 February 2025.
The RACGP recognises this change may be significant for some members and encourages GPs to log into login to myCPD as soon as possible to start a Professional Development Plan, find activities and log the CPD you do in your everyday work.
Speak directly with a member of the RACGP CPD team by phoning 1800 716 853.
The Department of Health and Aged Care has extended the healthdirect Video Call COVID- 19 GP Program to 30 June 2025, providing General Practices with a secure video consulting platform which has been purpose-built for primary care settings at no cost. RACGP CPD accredited training in healthdirect Video Call is available for your practice alongside a suite of supporting resources Training - Video Call. Practices wishing to register for a free HealthDirect Video Call account can do so via the online registration form here, or via the AMAS / ACCHS registration form here.
The Secret Code (security code) and Client ID (practice ID) that practices received to install the Primary Sense extractor and the desktop application are required for security and continued use of Primary Sense. Due to the security requirements the secret code expires and will need to be renewed and then updated in your system for the Primary Sense Extractor and Desktop Apps every 2 years. Practices and their IT Provider will receive an email informing you that your Primary Sense secret code will soon expire as you approach 2 years since installation. This email will come from primarysense@phinsights.org.au. Please contact Practice Assist if there has been any recent change in IT provider or Practice email. Once you have received the email regarding the renewal of your secret code, please follow the link in the email for instructions on how to renew and update your secret code or alternatively please find the link here. If the secret code is not renewed by the expiration date, functionality of both the extractor and desktops cease and has potential to effect PIP submission and payments. The email is sent about 3 weeks prior to the secret code expiring – reminder emails will be sent weekly until the secret code is renewed. For further information contact your Primary Care Navigator or Practice Assist via practiceassist@wapha.org.au or call 1800 2 ASSIST (1800 2 277 478 or 08 96278 7900).
My Aged Care support plans developed or updated from 9 December 2024 can now be made available in My Health Record. This integration of My Aged Care to My Health Record is the foundational connection between aged care and health systems. During aged care assessments, assessors will ask older people if they authorise sharing their support plan with My Health Record. Older people can provide or withdraw authorisation at any time. The support plan sets out the care and services that will best help the older person. It shows what aged care services they qualify for based on their needs and abilities. Access to support plans will give you a better understanding of your patients’ needs and help you make quicker and more informed treatment decisions. Read frequently asked questions for healthcare providers for more information.
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care are establishing a Single Assessment System to make it easier for older people to enter aged care and access different services as their needs change. On 9 December 2024, the Single Assessment System workforce brought together and replaced the Regional Assessment Service (RAS), Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT) and independent Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) assessment organisations. The Single Assessment System workforce will simplify and improve an older person’s experience as they enter and progress through the aged care system by:
To make a referral on your patient’s behalf, visit the My Aged Care website. Learn more about the Single Assessment System workforce.
The Department of Health has issued a health alert, urging the West Australian community to be aware of a second case of measles in a returned traveller from South East Asia. The health alert has a full list of exposure sites. Health professionals are encouraged to refresh their training on the early signs and symptoms of measles and to also encourage appropriate vaccination prior to travel. Early symptoms include fever, tiredness, cough, runny nose, and sore eyes, followed by a red non-itchy rash three or four days later. The rash usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. See the full alert and exposure sites here.
The WA Department of Health is reminding health care providers in Western Australia to be alert for possible cases of mpox. Mpox has re-emerged in Australia, with over 1200 cases notified in 2024, mainly in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Almost all cases have been males who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men and 92% were acquired locally in Australia. All Australian acquired cases are confirmed or suspected as clade II - the milder strain circulating in the Eastern states.
The mpox vaccine, Jynneos®, can now be ordered here. Please note that once these vaccines are thawed at the warehouse, they will expire in 24 weeks. Please order what your clinic needs but be aware that the doses that you are supplied may have shorter expiry once they arrive at your site. Expired doses should not be used. For the full statement, click here.
As part of the mpox response, the WA Department of Health has developed a toolkit with resources to raise awareness within the community. The toolkit consists of a suite of posters, wallet cards and social media tiles. The toolkit is available: Mpox resources - communications toolkit. Hardcopies of the posters and wallet cards can be ordered by emailing: shbbvp@health.wa.gov.au For more information, please visit the HealthyWA Mpox page.
The Australian Immunisation Handbook chapter on meningococcal disease has been updated and includes:
The updated meningococcal chapter can be viewed here.
The Immunisation Foundation of Australia has launched a new initiative to heighten awareness of pneumococcal disease and advocate for nationwide access to the best available pneumococcal protection. Over the past two years in Australia, we have seen a sustained rise in invasive pneumococcal disease, including pneumococcal pneumonia, pneumococcal meningitis and pneumococcal septicaemia. This surge reflects a list of challenges, including:
Further information can be found here.
One in three people will get herpes zoster (shingles) in their lifetime – and the symptoms can be debilitating. Clinicians are reminded that a 2-dose course of Shingrix vaccine is available for free under the NIP for:
Vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect against shingles disease. The Department of Health and Aged Care offers a range of resources to help health professionals have informative, supportive and culturally appropriate conversations about shingles vaccinations. The materials include clinical advice, a fact sheet, videos and podcasts, as well as resources specifically designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Access the information here.
In Australia, lung cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death. In 2024, the AIHW estimated there will be 15,100 new cases of lung cancer and almost 9,000 deaths. To address the incidence and mortality rates associated with lung cancer, eligible people aged between 50-70 years will be able to participate in the NLCSP using a low-dose CT scan, following shared decision making with their health care provider.
More information, materials and online education will become available prior to the program commencing in July 2025.
With the festive season quickly approaching, all providers are reminded to ensure that patients are up to date with their COVID -19 vaccinations. An increase in travel and visits from family and friends, often leads to a rise in infections. COVID-19 boosters are available all year round for those eligible for six monthly boosters:
If it is not known when the last COVID-19 infection was, it is safe to get another COVID-19 vaccine. See the Australian Immunisation Handbook for more information.
Minor updates have been applied to the Australian Immunisation Handbook COVID-19 chapter to bring the chapter in line with the epidemiology of current SARS-CoV-2 circulating variants as well as remove information about outdated formulations of COVID-19 vaccine. The following formulations have been removed:
Spikevax Omicron XBB.1.5 (Moderna) pre-filled syringe formulation. Information about the new Comirnaty JN.1 vaccine has also been added, including updates on the shelf life of the product. To access the chapter, click here.
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has published its latest Provider Bulletin (10 December 2024) to directly provide general practices participating in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout with updates on current and emerging topics. Information in this latest edition of the bulletin includes:
Subscribe here for National Immunisation Program (NIP) and National COVID-19 Vaccination Program (NCVP) updates.
The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association wants to hear from as many nurses as possible who work outside a hospital and in the community for their Annual Workforce Survey. It’s the best way to make sure politicians and policymakers hear about the unique challenges you face in primary health care and your aspirations for your career. You don’t need to be an APNA member to take part. As a thank you for your time, APNA is entering all completed surveys into the draw for one of two $1000 RedBalloon gift vouchers. You have until Tuesday 31 December to be in it to win it! Start the Workforce Survey now.
The Healthcare Professional survey is part of the evaluation of the Cultural Adaptation of the Safer Baby Bundle, which includes the Stronger Bubba Born and Growing a Healthy Baby initiatives. We invite clinicians who provide maternity care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and/or migrant or refugee women to complete the survey. Your insights will help inform the evaluation of culturally appropriate resources designed to reduce the chance of stillbirth and improve care. The survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete and your responses are completely anonymous. Take the survey here.
Mark your calendars for the WA Rural Health Conference, Pan Pacific Perth on Saturday 22 to Sunday 23 March 2025. Early bird registrations are now open! This year’s theme, “Strengthening rural WA: One connection at a time,” brings together a diverse range of rural health professionals including:
The preliminary program is now available, which includes sessions that focus on collaboration, connection, and community impact. For full details and to take advantage of early bird rates, please visit www.waruralhealthconference.com.au For any inquiries, please contact the Events Team at warhc@ruralhealthwest.com.au or call 08 6389 4500.
Acknowledgement 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.