Issue 211 - 9 January 2025
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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Happy New Year from the team at Practice Assist, we look forward to another year of working with you and your practice team.
For support with your general practice enquiries, contact the Practice Assist Help Desk or get in contact with your Primary Care Navigator and QI Coach on 1800 2 ASSIST (1800 2 277 478) or 08 6278 7900 or via email practiceassist@wapha.org.au.
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.
A number of the Tool Kits and pages on the Practice Assist website have been reviewed and updated to ensure you have the most current information to assist you with the day-to-day operations within your general practice.
These pages and Tool Kits will continue to be reviewed and updated as we receive new information and to ensure you are kept up to date.
Children under 14 years are now eligible to register for MyMedicare. MyMedicare is a free and voluntary patient registration model which formalises the relationship between patients, their general practice, GP and the primary care team with the aim of improving continuity of care and health outcomes. A child under 14 years can be registered for MyMedicare by a parent of guardian. To register a child:
The registering parent or guardian will have access to view and edit MyMedicare registration information for the child using Medicare online services. More details can be found at Register for MyMedicare - Medicare online account - Services Australia.
The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive program guidelines have been updated. The guidelines provide clear guidance to general practices and primary care providers who voluntarily register in MyMedicare to access the GPACI, including advice on the service requirements, payments and assessments. Changes include removing reference to Aboriginal Health Workers and some clarification to language from Services Australia. The updated guidelines can be found here: General Practice in Aged Care Incentive program guidelines 2024 | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
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 holiday period has ended, and we commence 2025 in a very warm summer for Western Australia. WA is still experiencing its high-risk period with threats of heatwaves, fires, floods and storms impacting the state. Begin the year by supporting patients and your practice to start the year informed about where to go to for information and how to keep safe in the new year.
Amendments to the Medicines and Poisons Regulations 2016 and the Schedule 8 Prescribing Code came into effect on the 12 December 2024 which impact the prescribing and dispensing of monitored medicines and the use of ScriptCheckWA. Under the new code, a monitored medicine includes those in schedule 8 and certain schedule 4 medicines such as benzodiazepines. The Schedule 8 Medicines Prescribing Code has been renamed to the Monitored Medicines Prescribing Code to reflect its expanded scope, now encompassing Schedule 4 (S4) Monitored Medicines. From the 12 June 2025, registration with ScriptCheckWA will be mandatory for prescribers and pharmacists. Under Regulation 22A of the Medicines and Poisons Regulation 2016, prior to prescribing, dispensing, or supplying a Monitored Medicine, a health professional must register with ScriptCheckWA. The use of ScriptCheckWA is strongly recommended to assist in the safe prescribing of medicines known to have a higher risk of dependence and diversion. ScriptCheckWA provides real time information that can inform risk assessments that prescribers are required to undertake in circumstances defined by section 8.5 of Monitored Medicines Prescribing Code. A summary of all the key amendments that impact health practitioners has been published by the WA Department of Health. Information about how to register for ScriptCheckWA, requirements, and learning modules can be accessed also on the WA Department of Health real time prescription monitoring webpage.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has recalled certain urology products due to the discovery of potential damage to the packaging, compromising the sterility of the product.
There is a potential risk of infection for patients in which these products have been used.
The recall concerns product families from the interventional urology portfolio.
Affected product families include foley catheters, prostatic catheters, urinary diversion devices, neoplex urethral catheters without balloon, urethral bougies, urodynamic catheters, percutaneous nephrostomy catheters, Supra-pubic drainage set, surgical drainage devices.
The manufacturer of the product has notified customers and advised that the company that sterilises these products cannot guarantee the integrity of the sterile packaging and is now removing the products from the market as a precaution.
A patient information sheet is available about the recall and advises contact with their GP or healthdirect on 1800 022 222 if they have any concerns or experience any signs that might suggest they have an infection.
Former members of the Australian Defence Force are most at risk of mental and physical health issues in the early years after they move into civilian life. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) fully funds the Veterans’ Health Check program, which provides a comprehensive health assessment once a year for five years, once they’ve transitioned from the military. They have created resources to make it easy for busy GPs to undertake this annual assessment and seek payment for their time.
Learn more here
If you order government-funded vaccines and have a Onelink ordering account, it is essential that your contact details are current to receive important communications from the Department. If you miss important communication about programs, ordering, or miss deadlines, you may not be able to receive vaccines ahead of program commencement. Please ensure that the ordering email address on file is not to an individual who may be on leave or not available, the preference is for shared or generic email addresses, such as reception@xyzclinic.com.au. If you are not receiving regular communications from the Department, including order confirmations, review and/or update your contact details now.
If you have any questions about this process, please email customerservice@onelink.com.au. Any other questions, please email vaccineorders@health.wa.gov.au.
Mpox cases in WA continue to occur with increasingly large numbers of anonymous contacts of mpox cases not able to be identified through contact tracing. Department of Health would like to advise clinicians to have a low threshold to test for mpox and other sexually transmitted infections in sexually active people with clinically compatible symptoms. Currently, Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at highest risk of mpox. All health care providers should be encouraging mpox vaccination for eligible patients. Free vaccination is available for all eligible people at risk. For further information please read the latest Clinician Alert.
NCIRS has published a new AIR Tip, adding to the Centre’s series of resources to assist immunisation providers in navigating the AIR. Among other practical advice, the Tip describes what information is included in an Immunisation History Statement and how healthcare providers, as well as both individuals who are and are not enrolled with Medicare, can access the statements. Access the tip here.
Please be aware of a recent revision to the Shingrix Australian Product Information (PI). These 1 November changes support the quality use and safe administration of the Shingrix vaccine. The changes include:
The inclusions in section 4.2 of the Australian PI are as below: Instructions for Use and Handling: The powder and suspension should be inspected visually for any particulate matter and/or variation to the expected appearance (i.e. white powder and opalescent, colourless to pale brownish liquid). If either is observed, do not reconstitute the vaccine. Please report this to WA Health by emailing vaccineorders@health.wa.gov.au
The Department of Health Communicable Disease Control Directorate Immunisation Program invites WA immunisation providers (including midwives, community health clinics, general practice, Aboriginal Medical Services and community pharmacies) to attend the 2025 RSV Maternal Vaccination and Infant Immunisation Program Information session. The session will cover information on RSV disease and program details, including reporting and recording requirements. The agenda will be shared ahead of the session. Please register by clicking on the link in the attached flyer. Please feel free to circulate this email amongst your networks, to any relevant colleagues who may be interested in attending.
Face-to-face registration: Please register for face-to-face attendance by COB Wednesday 22 January, to receive a ticket from Humanitix. Please ensure you have your ticket accessible upon entrance, for a seamless sign-in process on the day. There is a maximum of 1 ticket per order, please register individually. Online registration: Please register for online attendance to receive a confirmation email from Humanitix with a MS Teams meeting link. Please save this email/link to your calendar. Registration for online attendance is available until the end of the event i.e. Thursday 23 January 12.30pm. If you register for face-to-face attendance and need to change to online attendance, you can cancel your booking and register again for online attendance, in order to receive a MS Teams meeting link. There is a maximum of 1 ticket per order, please register individually. To register click here.
From early 2025, infants across Australia will benefit from new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) protection programs, including a nationally-funded vaccination program for pregnant women and state and territory funded long-acting monoclonal antibody programs for infants. This National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance(NCIRS) webinar will explore RSV disease and prevention and expand on the new funded RSV programs. The panel of leading experts will present on:
To register and for more information, click here.
Immunisation Coalition has released a new podcast series on seasonal respiratory infections. There are four 15-minute CPD accredited podcasts to listen to. Each podcast is presented by two Australian experts, where they provide their opinion and experience on each of the infectious disease topics. Topics covered include:
To register for the series click here.
Clinician Assist (formerly HealthPathways WA) have recently updated the Bowel Cancer Risk Assessment and Screening pathway to include information on the different ways GPs can complete the NBCSP GP assessment form including information on the integration of clinical software under the management section. If the patient’s FOBT result is positive:
Ensure all of your clinicians are registered by signing up for Clinician Assist to maintain up to date information and pathways.
The National Cervical Screening Program Guidelines for the management of screen-detected abnormalities, screening in specific populations and investigation of abnormal vaginal bleeding have now been updated to incorporate and support best clinical practice. The new Guidelines are now live and are available at: Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines | Cancer Council. Please note the changes will not go live in the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) until April. Discretion and best clinical judgement are to be used regarding the use and ‘compliance’ with the Guidelines during this time. The new program Guidelines are supported with the following healthcare provider training:
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us via NCSPcommittees@health.gov.au
From 2 January 2025, the Department of Health and Aged Care Vaccination Operation Centre (VOC) will be the main point of contact for matters relating to the National COVID-19 Vaccine Program (NCVP) for primary care providers. PHNs, including WA Primary Health Alliance, will no longer have responsibility for provider onboarding, offboarding and dealing with queries regarding the NCVP. This change is part of the planned transition of COVID-19 activities to align with other Australian Government funded vaccine programs. New sites wishing to onboard onto the National COVID-19 Vaccine Program (NCVP) will now need to contact VOC directly to register their expression of interest. Existing sites wishing to offboard will also be required to contact VOC directly to finalise their participation in the Program. Queries related to the NCVP should also be directed to VOC from this date. Any new, recommencing or offboarding sites should contact VOC at COVID19VaccineOperationsCentre@health.gov.au or by telephone at 1800 318 208.
The COVID-19 JN.1 vaccines were included in the National COVID-19 Vaccine Program from 9 December 2024. The vaccine comes in a range of presentations such as single-dose, multi-dose and pre-filled syringe (PFS), dependent on the vaccine type. Please check out the last Provider Bulletin (10DEC24) for more information regarding the JN.1 vaccines.
The Child and Adolescent Health Service Child Development Service (CDS) is seeking valuable input from Perth Metro GPs through a brief survey. Your participation will help refine the shared-care model between CDS and GPs, enhancing the management and care of children diagnosed with ADHD. By sharing your experiences and challenges, you can contribute to improving the collaborative efforts in providing the best care for these children. Complete the survey here by Friday 7 February 2024 or contact communityhealthresearch@health.wa.gov.au
Clinician Assist WA is a secure website providing GPs and other health professionals with guidance for assessing, managing and referring patients across Western Australia. It has replaced HealthPathways WA, offering the same trusted local guidance, features and functionality and remains available at no cost. The Clinician Assist WA team will run online demonstrations facilitated by a GP Clinical Editor throughout 2025 to support users. These sessions will demonstrate how to maximise integration of Clinician Assist WA into your clinical practice. Learn key functionalities of the website and how to access condition specific tools and resources, Referral Access Criteria (RAC) (where available), GPbook Specialist Directory and visiting specialist rosters. Sessions have been approved for 1 CPD Educational Hour with RACGP and will be held online on the following dates:
Demonstrations are open to general practitioners, general practice staff and other health professionals registered to practice in WA.
The GP Management of Patient Depression and Suicidality course, developed by Rural Clinical School of WA general practitioners, in collaboration with Psychiatrist Dr Mat Coleman, is designed to enhance the skills of GP’s in treating depression and suicidality. The program is made up of two modalities:
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.