Practice Connect Newsletter

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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WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) has a range of publications for different audiences providing up to date information.

Practice Connect – for practice managers, principals, nurses and administration
GP Connect – keeping GPs informed in the changing primary health landscape
Aged Care Connect – up to date across WAPHAs Aged Care Program initiatives and latest aged care news.
Primary Health Connect – information on all things primary health care in Western Australia.
Tender Notifications – receive notifications of upcoming tender opportunities.

05 February 2026 -

Edition 238

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New public campaign launched: Bulk Billing for all Australians
Organisational change guidance update
Practice Assist news and updates
Referrals to WACHS Midwest Specialist Outpatient Services transitioning to CRS
Maintain benzathine benzylpenicillin stock in your doctors bag
Royal Perth Bentley Group – new HealthLink address for direct-to-site (non-CRS) referrals
Royal Perth Hospital Breast Clinic referral update
My Health app has now transitioned to 1800MEDICARE app
NASH certificate renewals to maintain access to digital services
My Health Record – Better Faster Access
Healthcare Providers – Accessing My Health Record via the National Provider Portal
Starting School – Immunisations
Measles advice from the Chief Medical Officer
WA Immunisation Schedule and WA Aboriginal Immunisation Schedule updated
2026 Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Immunisation Program information session
Invitation to participate: Immunisation resource survey
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Education and events

28 January 2026 -

Edition 237

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MyMedicare maintenance for the New Year
Tips on managing the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive
1800 Medicare health information and advice
Medicare Mental Health – 1800 595 212
Practice Assist news and updates
Don’t miss out on funding opportunities for your practice!
Preparing for the wet season and flooding
Immediate (urgent) referrals to Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Hospitals (SCGOPHCG)
IBD in practice: A survey on knowledge and management in primary care
Cold chain breaches
Counterfeit rabies vaccine in India
Increased influenza activity and guidance for the holiday season
National Cancer Screening Register integration
Education & Events

08 January 2026 -

Edition 236

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- Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program
- Practice Assist news and updates
- Practice Assist Digital Health Tool Kit and webpage updated
- Advance Care Planning (ACP) Tool Kit now on Practice Assist
- Start the new year safe and aware
- New trauma-informed care resource for general practice teams
- Decommission of the NPS MedicineWise and Doctor’s Bag mobile applications
- Maintain benzathine benzylpenicillin stock in your Doctors Bag
- More measles cases detected
- New ATAGI statement on the importance and safety of Hepatitis B vaccine at birth
- Immunisation requirements for childcare services, kindergarten and schools
- The AIR “Planned catch-up for overdue vaccines” tick box
- ABRYSVO – Shelf life extension
- Immunisation Coalition webinars
- National lung screening campaign
- Bowel cancer screening education
- WACCPP – Out and about in WA
- Help improve team-based primary health care
- Registered Nurse Prescribing Endorsement – Consultation Opportunity
- Education & Events

11 December 2025 -

Edition 235

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New eligibility assessments for the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program
Summary of the 2025 Medicare changes
Happy Holidays from the Practice Assist Team
2026 Practice Assist Year Planner
Booragoon Medicare UCC launching in 2026
Clinic using grant to support those experiencing or at risk of homelessness
National Guidelines for Presentation of Electronic Discharge Summaries
Updated sick day management principles for adults with diabetes
Beforeplay – Sexually transmissible (STI) campaign
WA joins the Single Employer Model trial for Rural Generalist training in 2026
Caring for patients using alcohol and other drugs during the festive season
Keep safe this holiday period
Supporting women and children affected by Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence
Consideration of dTpa vaccine rather than dT vaccine for tetanus prone wounds for increasing pertussis protection
Updated HPV FAQs for providers and communities
Australian health leaders reaffirm vaccine safety
WA Immunisation Schedule changes – webinar recording now available
Education and events

27 November 2025 -

Edition 234

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Year in Review 2024-2025: Strategic alignment, data-driven decision and collaborative partnerships
Medicare updates from November 2025
Cheaper cancer and chronic conditions medicines now on PBS
Workshop on futureproofing your general practice
View your My Practice Data Reports
Practice Assist looking forward to 2026
The new Aged Care Act and DVA funded care
New quick guide about DVA funded supports for veterans with cognitive concerns
Annual payment available to patients for incontinence products
Support older people to record preferences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander assessment organisations
New resources to support children and families with attention, regulation and ADHD challenges
New resources to support children and families with attention, regulation and ADHD challenges
Supporting patients with changing their legal gender
Supporting your practice to be LGBTIQA+ inclusive
Safer Options resources for inclusive care
Free accredited training in disaster preparedness for general practice
Bidi Wungen Kaat – St James Transitional Care Unit Prevention and Recovery Program now open to patients state-wide
Connected care: digital health across aged care
Secure messaging improves referrals
Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) policy: update to childhood pneumococcal schedule rule changes
New and improved Immunisation Handbook app now available
Reminder: free Japanese encephalitis vaccine available for those at risk
Introduction of the New Aged Care Act: key messages for COVID-19 vaccination
COVID-19 vaccines in Australia poster updated
Immunisation education opportunities
Webinar Recordings for NCIRS
World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day
National Cervical Screening Program monitoring report 2025
WAPHA Palliative Care Champions Project – Request for Proposal (RFP) opening early December 2025
Don’t ignore the black puppy: Why small signs of depression deserve big attention
Education and events

13 November 2025 -

Edition 233

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Medicare updates from November 2025
Primary Sense in practice: QI bites and clinical insights
Prepare your practice for the effects of heat waves in your communities
Transition of WA Diabetes Patients to Adult Services – Primary Care Survey
Using quality improvement to boost the uptake of eScripts and Active Script Lists
Connected care: digital health across aged care
Paid online focus groups on My Health Record
Get ready for Summer!
Influenza immunisation program 2026
Declining adolescent immunisation rates
Pertussis surge
Changes to Immunisation Handbook chapters
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
National Cancer Screening Register
New Learning Management System (LMS) for online immunisation modules
Eliminating Cervical Cancer Conference 2025
Shingles update
Changes to the WA Immunisation Schedule Lunchtime webinar
Education and events

30 October 2025 -

Edition 232

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MBS changes for 1 November 2025
Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program Calculator and Practice Readiness Checklist
Upcoming changes to Better Access Mental Health Program
Bushfire – Prepare your practice for the effects of bushfires in your communities
Reflecting on WA Mental Health Week
Live and work in Rural WA competition
My Health Record Share by Default: Better and Faster Access to health information
Global movement to defeat meningitis – one catch up at a time
Measles outbreak in the Pilbara
Birth-dose hepatitis B vaccinations safe and necessary
Post exposure rabies protocol
New edition of the national vaccine storage guidelines – Strive for 5
NCIRS launches new vaccine safety webpages
Promote early skin cancer detection in your practice
Immunisation for health and life
Protecting adolescents through immunisation: insights, drivers and opportunities for action
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis webinar
This year, the APNA Workforce Survey turns 20!
Education & Events

17 October 2025 -

Edition 231

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MBS changes for 1 November 2025
Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program Calculator and Practice Readiness Checklist
Upcoming changes to Better Access Mental Health Program
Bushfire – Prepare your practice for the effects of bushfires in your communities
Reflecting on WA Mental Health Week
Live and work in Rural WA competition
My Health Record Share by Default: Better and Faster Access to health information
Global movement to defeat meningitis – one catch up at a time
Measles outbreak in the Pilbara
Birth-dose hepatitis B vaccinations safe and necessary
Post exposure rabies protocol
New edition of the national vaccine storage guidelines – Strive for 5
NCIRS launches new vaccine safety webpages
Promote early skin cancer detection in your practice
Immunisation for health and life
Protecting adolescents through immunisation: insights, drivers and opportunities for action
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis webinar
This year, the APNA Workforce Survey turns 20!
Education & Events

02 October 2025 -

Edition 230

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New Bulk Billing Incentive and Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program Calculator released for practices and GPs
Better Access Mental Health Program Changes – New factsheets now available
WAPHA Primary Care Reporting Portal – Self Service Administration now available
Prepare your practice and patients for the high-risk natural hazard season
Urgent Care Clinics tender opportunity now open
Supporting older patients to manage their electronic prescriptions
Supporting older patients who need intensive assistance to access aged care and other supports
Education and training on the care of older Australians
New sensory loss project resources available
Needle free flu vaccine for children next year
New stickers for vaccines affected by cold chain breach
Catch-up vaccination plans
WA Department of Health measles update
National COVID-19 Vaccination Program (NVCP) ceasing clinical advice
Immunisation education opportunities
National Lung Cancer Screening Program engagement packs
BreastScreen WA eligibility
Help inform the development of the State Government’s Older Adults Community Integrated Care Hubs
Invitation to participate in an ethically approved targeted health service survey regarding post-sepsis models of care in Australian healthcare settings
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In the Pink!
Education and events

18 September 2025 -

Edition 229

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General Practice in Aged Care Incentive hints and tips
Understanding bulk billing changes for GPs and practice managers – webinar recording and resources
MyMedicare practice promotion resources
Expression of interest: Join our Multidisciplinary Health Care Advisory Panel
Upcoming change: Referrals to WACHS Great Southern Specialist Outpatient Services Transitioning to CRS
Urgent care tender opportunity now open
Tender open for the establishment of After Hours General Practice Services
Discover tender opportunities to strengthen primary health care in WA
It’s Dementia Action Week – is your practice a dementia friendly space?
Integrating advance care planning within routine health assessments for older patients
Advance care planning quality improvement activities
Updating clinical guidelines for dementia care
Pneumococcal NIP schedule changes
AIR updated to support pneumococcal program changes
Immunisation recommendations for people with certain medical risk conditions
Antenatal immunisation reminder
A Professor Allan Cripps memorial tribute – Pneumococcal update webinar
Register for NCIRS’ upcoming webinar: What’s new in pneumococcal vaccination for infants, children and adolescents
Respiratory Infectious Disease Podcast series
Cold chain education for staff working in immunisation in WA
In the Pink!
Education and events