Issue 239 – 19 February 2026
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Welcome to Practice Connect, a fortnightly update for practice managers, principals, nurses and administration staff on relevant issues, upcoming events and education. |
Medicare and MyMedicare updates
BBPIP payments for Quarter 1 from 1 November 2025 to 31 December 2025
Payments for the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP) have now been disbursed to more than 2900 practices across Australia for the first quarter from 1 November 2025 to 31 December 2025 (2 months).
Some payments have not yet been made due to missing bank account details or other issues associated with registration and accreditation. The Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care is working with Services Australia to facilitate those payments.
Any practice or provider who have still not been paid should send an enquiry to Services Australia through their HPOS account.
For further information on adding bank account or accreditation details please see:
- Adding provider bank account details for BBPIP for step-by-step instructions
- Information on updating Accreditation details can be found on page 8 ORGREGM06 – Amend your Organisation Site Record through HPOS
Please contact Services Australia for any further information.
MBS changes from 1 March 2026
From 1 March 2026 the following changes will apply to the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
A summary of the MBS March update is now available. Visit the MBS March News page for a list of recent updates. The changes include:
- Definition of eligible disability.
- Health assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and health assessments for immunisation and screening programs.
- Introduction of 32 new MBS items for patient end support (PES) services. These services aim to improve telehealth consultations by providing face-to-face support during specialist video calls.
- In-Person Support: These services allow a GP, prescribed medical practitioner, or nurse practitioner to be physically present with the patient during a specialist’s video consultation.
- Enhanced Clinical Outcomes: The services are designed to facilitate comprehensive assessment of treatment plans, promote multidisciplinary collaboration, and ensure efficient clinical handover.
- Benefit Alignment: MBS benefits for these new items will correspond with existing MBS benefit levels for comparable services.
- Other changes to general medical services.
- Administrative amendments have been made to remove references to repealed items 93470 and 93479 in item descriptors for items 92004 and 92011.
- Administrative changes to update telehealth clauses 2.1.5, 5.1.2, 8.1.3 and items 92422, 92760, 92623, 92762, 92763, 92767, 92768 to add references to subsequent phone items.
- Electrocardiogram item 11707 will be amended to become a precursor for item 11705. Item 11714 will be made available for GPs to bill on behalf of their patients.
For further information, contact Practice Assist or your Primary Care Navigator on 08 6278 7900 or via email practiceassist@wapha.org.au
Practice news
Resources and training to support caring for people with Autism
To support health professionals with knowledge and resources to improve access and health care experiences for people with Autism, Autism WA has launched a first of its kind, online training program. Developed by Curtin University in collaboration with GPs, hospitals, carers and other health professionals, the program is provided at no cost and offers five, self-paced modules. Find out more and create a free account to access the training on the Autism WA website.
Help DVA clients connect with health care services through the National Health Services Directory
The National Health Services Directory (NHSD) is searched more than 1.5 million times per month via Healthdirect’s Service Finder. Ensuring your health services are accurately listed helps Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) clients and their referrers find the services they need.
Providers are encouraged to review their service listings regularly – including contact details, opening hours and the services offered. Adding a note in the description field will help DVA services find your patients.
Learn more here.
DVA updated fees for compensation claim medical assessments and reports
The fees for medical assessments and reports required to support a veteran’s compensation claim have been updated from 9 February 2026.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) often pays for medical assessments and reports that have been requested to support investigation of a veteran’s eligibility for benefits (claim assessment). The fees have been updated so that rates are more consistent with comparable fees in other jurisdictions. This is a substantial increase in the fees payable for these reports since the last official update. The fees will also be indexed on 1 July each year.
DVA encourages health providers to familiarise themselves with, and to comply with, the updated fee guidance.
Learn more here.
Final call for entries: $3,500 prize pool up for grabs as Live and Work Rural Competition Closes 1 March 2026
Western Australians are being urged to share their stories of rural life, with entries for the Rural Health West Live and Work Rural Video Competition closing on Sunday, 1 March 2026.
With a $3,500 prize pool on offer, the competition invites individuals, health professionals, students and community members to showcase what makes living and working in rural Western Australia unique, rewarding and inspiring.
Through short, creative video submissions, participants are encouraged to highlight the lifestyle, career opportunities, community spirit and sense of purpose that define rural practice.
The competition is proudly supported by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), whose sponsorship reflects a shared commitment to strengthening and promoting the rural health workforce across Western Australia.
Entries will be recognised and promoted across Rural Health West’s platforms, helping to showcase the diversity, resilience and strength of rural communities throughout the state.
Winners will be announced at the WA Rural Health Conference on Sunday 15 March 2026.
Full competition details, prize information and submission guidelines are available here.
Quality improvement updates
Event Summaries in My Health Record – More Than Meeting ePIP Requirements
Event Summaries capture key details from a specific encounter – such as surgical excisions, suture removal plans, immunisations administered, or medicines given in practice (for example, inhalers used during spirometry). When a patient is unable to return to the clinic, becomes unwell after leaving, or seeks urgent care elsewhere, these summaries ensure the next clinician has timely, accurate information to guide their decisions.
This quality improvement activity explores the often overlooked value of uploading Event Summaries to My Health Record (MHR). While Event Summaries don’t contribute toward ePIP counts for Shared Health Summaries, they play a powerful role in strengthening clinical handover and supporting safer, more coordinated patient care.
By embedding Event Summary uploads into routine workflows, practices can enhance continuity of care, reduce avoidable duplication, and support better outcomes—delivering genuine value beyond compliance.
QI Activity: Utilisation of Event Summaries
Access the Plan Do See Act (PDSA): Event Summary
Our team of dedicated Quality Improvement Coaches are happy to assist with tailored QI support and development of activities for your practice, if you would like a QI Coach to provide your team support please contact us via our email qi@wapha.org.au
Quality improvement webinars
If you’d like to join our upcoming webinars, check out the events section of this newsletter. You can also catch up on previous sessions by visiting our Quality Improvement YouTube series.
Digital health feature
Provider online digital access (PRODA) and Health Professional Online Services (HPOS)
These two systems are firmly embedded in our everyday work. But what do the terms Provider online digital access (PRODA) and Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) mean? On occasion, the function of these two processes is mixed up, which leads to confusion.
PRODA is an online identity verification and authentication system. It lets you securely access a range of government online services for providers. Your PRODA account should be set up with your personal name and personal email. Why? Because this is your personal digital access to a health professional organisation.
Whenever you commence with an organisation you must be delegated by higher authority to have access and be linked to your online organisational services. So, to, as you leave an organisation your PRODA identity must be “unlinked” from accessing that organisation further. This is for security reasons.
Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) is a secure, web-based portal operated by Services Australia that allows health professionals, administrative staff, and organisations to manage information and interact with Medicare online. Accessed via a PRODA account, it facilitates tasks like managing provider numbers, submitting claims, accessing patient records, and using HPOS messages.
Follow these steps to remove your delegation:
- Log in to PRODA to use HPOS.
- Select My Providers from the HPOS home page.
- Select Edit for the delegation you wish to delete. The details of the selected provider will be displayed.
- Select Remove.
- Select OK to confirm the removal of the association between you and the provider.
For more information and support, contact Practice Assist or your Primary Care Navigator on 08 6278 7900 or via email practiceassist@wapha.org.au
Provider Connect Australia™ is transforming business information management and service provider connectivity
A single place to update your business information
Provider Connect Australia (also known as PCA) is an initiative of the Australian Digital Health Agency to help health care provider organisations update their business information in a single place.
PCA connects health care provider organisations with their business partners to streamline updates of the services they provide and the practitioners that provide them. This significantly reduces the time that organisations spend updating their business partners, ensures that updates are not missed, and reduces the transcription errors that occur with manual updates.
For further information and support refer to www.digitalhealth.gov.au or contact digitaladoptionsupport@health.gov.au or Practice Assist on 08 6278 7900 or via email practiceassist@wapha.org.au
Immunisation and cancer screening updates
What are childhood asthma action plans and why are they so important?
Written asthma action plans are one of the most effective asthma interventions available.
An integral part of asthma management at all ages is the development of a written asthma action plan for everyday and school use by the person with asthma and their carer, together with their doctor.
An asthma action plan helps the person with asthma and their carer or education giver recognise worsening asthma and gives clear instructions on what to do in response.
The process of developing a written asthma action plan is important, as this should be a discussion of the person’s individual asthma and its management. The written plan is a record of that discussion.
Use of a written asthma action plan:
- Reduces absences from school.
- Reduces hospital admissions.
- Reduces emergency visits to general practice.
- Reduces reliever medication use.
- Improves lung function.
Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) has designed an asthma action plan for children, available here.
Asthma Australia has an editable print out of Asthma action plans adapted for education and care services, available here.
Alternatively, the National Asthma Council of Australia also has downloadable action plans available here.
Notification of additional measles cases in metropolitan Perth
The WA Department of Health Communicable Disease Control Directorate has confirmed two new measles cases.
The measles alert page has been updated with relevant exposure locations.
Continue to refer to the WA Department of Health Measles Quick Guide for information on testing, management and notification in primary care.
Isolate and urgently notify all suspect measles cases by telephone to your local Public Health Unit or the on-call Public Health Physician after hours, contact details are also available in the Measles Quick Guide. Public Health can then undertake a risk assessment, facilitate testing to be expedited, and commence early contact tracing and post-exposure prophylaxis if warranted.
Australian Immunisation Handbook chapters updated
Be on the lookout for the updated chapters in the Australian Immunisation Handbook (AIH).
Numerous chapters have been updated in January 2026 including changes to the Pneumococcal disease chapter to clarify the transition to using the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for children and the measle, mumps and rubella chapters to specify recommendations for infant travellers.
Access the updates here.
Tools and tips for tackling vaccine misinformation in your practice
The latest Vaccine Update (no 473) gives some recommendations on trusted websites such as SKAI (Sharing Knowledge about Immunisation) and the Immunisation Coalition to help immunisers and health professionals communicate with patients and families who require support to make immunisation decisions.
Read the full Vaccine Update here.
Access SKAI here.
Access the Immunisation Coalition website here.
If you have not already subscribed to Vaccine Updates, you can subscribe here.
New quality improvement activity: Identify eligible patients for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program
Co-designed by Cancer Council WA and WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA), this new quality improvement activity helps general practices identify patients who may be eligible for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) and prioritise them for assessment. By reviewing patient records and following best-practice guidelines, practices can support early detection of lung cancer, improving the chance of better patient outcomes through timely treatment.
This activity is accredited for six CPD hours, and support from WAPHA QI coaches is available, including guidance on running and interrogating Primary Sense reports.
For more information or to register a practice click here.
Health promotion event
SAVE THE DATE: World Kidney Day 12 March 2026
Around the globe, people will come together to raise awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and promote early detection and management. This year’s theme is ‘Kidney Health For All – Caring for People, Protecting the Planet’ and recognises the environmental changes to our climate that can impact CKD, as well as the impact of treatments for CKD such as dialysis on the environment.
Learn more here about getting involved!
Education and events
APNA Mental Health First Aid
Presented by APNA and supported by WA Primary Health Alliance
3 March to 12 March (various locations)
Mental health matters. One in five Australians experience mental health concerns each year, and primary health care nurses are often the first point of support.
Join APNA’s Mental Health Education Program—designed for nurses, by nurses—to build the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a real difference.
- Expert-led sessions by APNA nurse & licensed MHFA instructor.
- Practical strategies for early intervention.
Format: approx. 7 hours of online learning (to be done first) + hard-copy workbook posted to you + 5hr face-to-face workshop
Locations: South Metro Perth, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Broome, North Metro Perth, Bunbury
Places are limited – view the flyer for more information.
Webinar: Quality improvement (QI) basics – where to start
Presented by WA Primary Health Alliance
4 March (12pm to 1pm)
Join us for our first quality improvement (QI) webinar of 2026, which will show you where to start with the QI basics and how to turn small, structured changes into measurable outcomes for your patients and your practice.
To find out more, view the flyer and register today.
Quality improvement (QI) webinars
Catch up on previous webinar sessions by visiting the Quality Improvement YouTube series.
Webinars: The Big 5 proven activities for better mental health
Presented by WA Primary Health Alliance and MindSpot GP
19 and 31 March (12pm to 1pm)
What if supporting people’s mental health could be as straightforward as the advice we provide about diet and exercise?
WA Primary Health Alliance and MindSpot GP invite health professionals across WA to attend one of the upcoming webinars about The Big 5 evidence-based activities that are most strongly linked to better mental health.
To find out more, view the flyer and register for the regional webinar or the Perth webinar today.
Practice Manager Forum: Futureproofing your general practice
Presented by WA Primary Health Alliance
27 March (9am to 3pm)
Join us for an engaging and informative in-person event designed to support WA general practices with navigating key changes, embracing innovation and strengthening quality improvement.
General practice is evolving rapidly, from accreditation reforms and privacy legislation updates to the integration of AI and digital tools.
The Practice Manager Forum will bring together primary care professionals to explore these changes, share insights and connect with support programs that enhance practice sustainability and patient care.
To find out more, view the flyer and register today.
Practice Manager Virtual Networking – Session Two
Presented by WA Primary Health Alliance
2 April (11am to 12pm)
Join us at our second Practice Manager Virtual Networking Session, which will provide an opportunity for you to connect, discuss topics of interest, share information and raise questions with your WAPHA support team and other local general practices. These sessions will be held every two months.
When you register for each virtual session, you can indicate which topics you would like to be discussed by using the free text box.
To make the most of these interactive virtual sessions, you will need to have access to a microphone and camera, if possible.
To find out more, view the flyer and register today.
Building capacity in disaster preparedness and response for general practice
Presented by WA Primary Health Alliance
Ongoing e-learning training
These comprehensive eLearning modules are specifically designed to enhance participants’ knowledge and understanding of key emergency management principles and practices in Western Australia, including modules that are specific to your role within general practice, from General Practitioners to Practice Managers. Through interactive, scenario-based learning, participants will explore:
- WA State Emergency Management Arrangements.
- Roles and responsibilities of Hazard Management Agencies.
- The 28 Prescribed Hazards.
- Command and Control structures in WA.
- The Australian Warning System (AWS).
- Core concepts of Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (PPRR).
- Emergency preparedness’ relevance to primary health care.
Incentives:
- The module is available to all practices and will offer RACGP Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours and other CPD options for other health professions.
- Get your practice prepared for disaster to minimise the impact it will have on the business during disaster and maintain business continuity.
- Meet RACGP standards for general practice, which will support you in your practice accreditation.
Find out more information and access the course here.
Menopause training and resources for health professionals
Presented Jean Hailes for Women’s Health and the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS)
Ongoing free online courses
Managing menopause in general practice
Key areas:
- Menopausal symptoms.
- Consultation and diagnosis.
- Menopausal hormone therapy.
- Safe and effective menopause management
This activity is accredited by ACRRM and RACGP.
Understanding menopause – for nurses and midwives
Key areas:
- Perimenopause, menopause and post menopause
- Menopausal symptoms
- The role of nurses and midwives in menopause management
This activity is endorsed by the Australian Primary Care Nurses Association (APNA) and the Australian College of Midwives (ACM).
View the flyer here for more information and to register.
Other Webinars, Events & Workshops
| Honour-based violence in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities Presented by WA Primary Health Alliance New date to be announced |
| STI Testing in Primary Care: Western Australia Presented by ASHM Ongoing learning module and webinar |
| Enhancing Syphilis Awareness: Engaging Communities and Health care Providers Presented by ASHM Ongoing learning module and webinar |
| Managing patient depression and suicidality in primary care Presented by Rural Health West February to June |
| How to Build a High-Performing Medical Practice Presented by Rural Health West 20 February |
| PHPN Welcome to 2026 Sundowner (Karratha) Presented by Pilbara Health Professionals Network (PHPN) 20 February |
| De-escalation Skills Presented by Western Australian Association for Mental Health 24 February, 9 April and 29 June |
| Wesley Lifeforce Primary Care Support Staff (non-clinical) Suicide Prevention Training 2026 (Online workshop) Presented by Wesley Mission 25 February |
| BreastScreen WA mobile visit to Waroona Presented by BreastScreen WA 4 March to 20 March |
| Sexual and Reproductive Health Australia National Certificate for Doctors: (In-person) Presented by SHQ 9 to 13 March |
| Wesley Lifeforce Primary Care Support Staff (non-clinical) Suicide Prevention Training 2026 (Wanneroo) Presented by Wesley Mission 9 March |
| Understanding Vicarious Trauma: Tools for helping professionals Presented by Western Australian Association for Mental Health 11 March and 8 May |
| WA Rural Health Conference 2026 Presented by Rural Health West 14 March and 15 March |
| GP Education: Management of Pelvic Pain, Menopause and Perimenopause Presented by Luma 11 March |
| Talking About Suicide Prevention in Practice – Webinar Presented by Black Dog Institute 12 March |
| Melanoma March Presented by Melanoma Institute Australia 15 March |
| BreastScreen WA mobile visit to Ravensthorpe Presented by BreastScreen WA 20 March to 26 March |
| BreastScreen WA mobile visit to Armadale Presented by BreastScreen WA 20 March to 3 July |
| BreastScreen WA mobile visit to Harvey Presented by BreastScreen WA 23 March to 16 April |
| Course in Ear Wax Removal (Microsuction) Presented by Benchmarque Group 26 March |
| Course in Ear Wax Removal (Irrigation) Presented by Benchmarque Group 27 March |
| National Hepatitis B s100 Prescriber Forum Presented by ASHM 27 March |
| BreastScreen WA mobile visit to Denham Presented by BreastScreen WA 27 March to 1 April |
| BreastScreen WA mobile visit to Jerramungup Presented by BreastScreen WA 27 March to 31 March |
| Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention – Blended Learning Presented by Black Dog Institute 29 March |
| Wesley Lifeforce Primary Care Support Staff (non-clinical) Suicide Prevention Training 2026 (Busselton) Presented by Wesley Mission 14 April |
| Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention – Blended Learning Presented by Black Dog Institute 15 April |
| Wesley Lifeforce Primary Care Support Staff (non-clinical) Suicide Prevention Training 2026 (Bridgetown) Presented by Wesley Mission 16 April |
| National Suicide Prevention Conference Presented by Suicide Prevention Australia 28 April to 30 April |
| Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention – Blended Learning Presented by Black Dog Institute 6 May |
| Rural and remote retrieval weekend Presented by Rural Health West 7 to 10 May |
| Dealing with Depression in Rural Australia – Blended Presented by Black Dog Institute 18 May |
| Advanced Training in Suicide Prevention – Blended Learning Presented by Black Dog Institute 11 June |
| Talking About Suicide Prevention in Practice – Webinar Presented by Black Dog Institute 20 June |
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.
