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To assist busy general practices and to reduce the risk of community transmission of COVID-19, all mask distribution is now occurring via Australia Post. We appreciate supplies within some practices are running low and we are doing our utmost to expedite this process. We can confirm that all outstanding orders will be posted this week, with one box of 50 surgical masks allocated per practice. We continue to receive supplies of surgical masks from the Australian Government Department of Health so please continue to order and re-order via the links below. General Practice, Pharmacy & ACCHO (only) For first time requests, complete this form: Surgical mask registrations form For a repeat order, complete this form: Surgical mask re-order form Practices can contact their WA Primary Health Liaison Officer or contact Practice Assist on 1800 227 747 or practiceassist@wapha.org.au for further assistance.
Refer to Clinical Alert updates for GPs on WA Department of Health website.
The Australian Government has announced the temporary MBS telehealth and phone items for COVID-19 will soon be expanded to enable greater access to telehealth and phone services for people with or without COVID-19. This will also include mental health and allied health consultations. Currently, health practitioners at risk of COVID-19 and patients at risk of COVID-19 are eligible for the temporary COVID-19 telehealth and phone MBS items. It is expected a more comprehensive telehealth whole of population model of care and the detail of telehealth operations via phone and video will be announced by the end of this week, as part of a staged approach to create a more responsive and flexible Medicare system that meets the needs of patients and providers during this crisis. We will continue to communicate and support general practice through the changes as they come to hand. For further information visit www.mbsonline.gov.au.
RACGP WA, Rural Health West and WA Primary Health Alliance invite you to participate in a webinar on Wednesday 25 March, 7:00pm to 8:00pm (AWST). This webinar will include:
Please click here to register for this webinar.
A new COVID clinic opened in Armadale yesterday and Rockingham on Tuesday 24 March, with further clinics opening in Midland and Joondalup today. Clinic staff will conduct tests, provide information and refer people for appropriate treatment if required. Clinics are not intended to replace the medical care available through their GP or at hospital emergency departments. Read the full announcement (including locations and opening hours) here.
The Communicable Disease Control Directorate (CDCD) has announced that ordering for people aged 65 years and over is now open. Fluad® Quad is the only vaccine that is recommended for people aged ≥65 years. Ordering for all other age cohorts will be available from early April. Refer to the updated WA Immunisation schedule for 2020 influenza vaccine information.. Influenza vaccination will be state funded in WA for primary school aged children as per the updated WA schedule. Optimal protection against influenza occurs within 3 to 4 months following vaccination. Providers should consider vaccinating in May and early June to ensure optimal protection throughout influenza season which typically spans July to October in WA. While the influenza virus remains in circulation, it is never too late to immunise. Recording in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) AIR is the national whole-of-life Immunisation register and all vaccines administered, including influenza vaccine, should be recorded in AIR, irrespective of the patient’s age. Ordering Information: Providers will be informed through the on-line ordering system, and by fax and email, once ordering opens. Refer to information within the Toll on-line ordering system for queries and messaging.
The Advance Project is a free, evidence-based toolkit and training package specifically designed to support GPs, nurses and practice managers to initiate advance care planning conversations and assess patients’ and carers’ palliative and supportive care needs. WA Primary Health Alliance is working with HammondCare to support Western Australian general practices to implement a team-based approach to initiating advance care planning and palliative care into everyday clinical practice. For further information please contact The Advance Project Lead, Roseanne Adamson via mobile on 0418 636 753 or by email Roseanne.Adamson@wapha.org.au. Alternatively, please contact you WA Primary Health Alliance facilitator or Primary Health Liaisons. Please click here to view The Advance Project Toolkit flyer for further information and resources. -
Pregnancy and parenthood can put significant stress on new parents. It isn't uncommon for anxiety and depression to disrupt parent-baby relationships, wellbeing and family life. Raphael Services is part of the outreach arm of St John of God Health Care and provides services to all patients, and not just privately insured patients. Vital early-intervention counselling is offered free for mums and dads; from conception through to the child being 4 years of age, enabling mums and dads to thrive - emotionally, physically and as a family. New parents in Perth’s northern suburbs can now access free mental health treatment with the opening of two new St John of God Raphael Services locations.
The My Health Record team from WA Primary Health Alliance can assist your practice with the provision of a virtual visit to provide training on using and navigating the My Health Record system. A copy of all relevant guides, online training and webinars are provided below to reference whilst assisting you with virtual training to your practice. To organise a virtual visit or if you have any queries please contact the My Health Record team at myhealthrecord@wapha.org.au.
This My Health Record Overview: webinar will outline the types of information that are typically found in a My Health Record, as well as how to view this information and where possible, upload information. It will be useful for healthcare providers who are connected to the system and ready to start engaging with it. This Navigating My Health Record – Streamlining your clinical assessment webinar runs you through a number of new features for clinicians giving them easier access to clinical information. This On Demand Training (Training Environment) webinar will overview training environments that provide a simulation of a select number of clinical software such as Best Practice, Medical Director, Communicare, Genie and Zedmed with My Health Record.
These Online Training Modules provide self-paced training modules with an introductory module followed by specific modules for healthcare providers across a range of healthcare settings. Users will need to create an account to access these modules.
These My Health Record Clinical software summary sheets provide step-by-step instructions for interacting a range of clinical software with My Health Record, such as how to complete uploading and viewing tasks. This Practice Nurse My Health Record Training Workbook gives an overview of using the My Health Record on software as well as situations and scenarios to upload information.
The Australian Government will fast track the implementation of electronic prescribing to allow GPs to prepare an electronic script, potentially via a telehealth consultation. This is then shared with the pharmacy who may then choose to deliver medicines directly where suitable, thereby reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for vulnerable patients. The Australian Digital Health Agency is currently working with software providers to implement this function and will provide further updates in the coming weeks. ePrescribing works with eRX and MediSecure. We will be working with the Australian Digital Health Agency to support practices and pharmacies to implement ePrescribing in clinical practice, when available.
Further information and resources are available on the Practice Assist website.
All events are listed on our Webinars and Workshops page.