Practice Connect #252

Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP) payments have been disbursed to eligible practices and providers for the period 1 April to 30 June 2026. Please note, timeframes for payments may vary across financial institutions.

If practices or GPs think they were due a payment and have not yet received it, they can contact Services Australia’s Medicare Provider line on 132 150 (option 2) for assistance. More information about BBPIP is available on the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.

For further information or support on the BBPIP program for your practice, contact Practice Assist on 08 6278 7900 or email practiceassist@wapha.org.au

A national communication campaign to raise awareness of the Medicare Mental Health Check In launched on 10 August 2026 and will run for 10 months, promoting early help-seeking among people facing mild mental health challenges such as low mood, stress and anxiety.

The campaign will promote the free online support available through Low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LiCBT) tools, which can be accessed independently or with guidance from a qualified mental health practitioner via telehealth for those who would like extra support.

To help people recognise early signs of distress and understand their support options, resources are available on the website, including fact sheets, posters and explainer videos.

Resources are also available for health professionals, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and multicultural communities.

BreastScreen Australia is a joint initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments that aims to reduce illness and deaths from breast cancer through early detection. Women aged 40 and over can access a free screening mammogram every two years, with women aged 50 to 74 actively invited to participate.

Between 1985–1989 and 2011–2015, 5-year relative survival rates from breast cancer improved from 73% to 91%.

Research demonstrates that encouragement from the GP and Practice Nurse will increase the likelihood of women attending a screening mammogram. Although a doctor’s referral is not essential, general practice is valued as having a fundamental role in encouraging women to have a screening mammogram and in the management of screen detected breast lesions.

BreastScreen WA delivers more than 130,000 screening mammograms each year. For every 1,000 women screened, around 950 will receive a normal result, about 50 will be recalled for further tests, and up to 6 may have breast cancer detected.

Breastscreen WA has permanent locations in Perth and regional sites. They also have Breastscreen mobile vans that tour regional and remote areas on a rotating basis. Find a location near your clinic here.

Factsheets for GPs are available here.

The National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) aims to prevent cervical cancer through regular Cervical Screening Tests, which detect human papillomavirus (HPV) before it can lead to cervical cell changes.

Eligible women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 74 should be encouraged to screen regularly, as most cervical cancers occur in people who have never screened or do not screen routinely.

Participants can choose clinician-collected or self-collected testing. Self-collection should be offered in-clinic where possible, with clear instructions and follow-up to ensure samples are returned promptly.

Eligible people can collect their own vaginal sample in a private space, with instructions and a swab provided by a healthcare professional, to overcome barriers to regular screening, such as discomfort with speculum exams.

Self-collection can occur in other settings at the discretion of the requesting healthcare provider and with the recommended self-collection swab.

Further information and resources:

• National Cervical Screening Program – National Cervical Screening Policy
• How to collect your own sample – National Cervical screening program
• Education and resources for health professionals

Recent data from the Western Australian Cancer Registry shows colorectal cancer remains the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Western Australia and the second leading cause of cancer-related death.

In Western Australia participation rates in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program were 41.5% (in 2020-2021), with the highest rates reported in the Augusta, Margaret River and Busselton region of 48.8%.

Because colorectal cancer often develops slowly, screening can support earlier detection and help reduce mortality and morbidity.

From 1 July 2024, people aged 45 to 49 became eligible to request a screening kit, expanding access to earlier detection.

Updated risk assessment guide for colorectal cancer

The updated guides for bowel, breast and skin cancer are now available to support clinical decision-making when patients present with symptoms in general practice. Download a copy to assist with timely assessment and referral.

Clinical management and screening for bowel cancer eLearning module

This free online learning module is tailored for primary care health professionals, such as GPs, nurses and Aboriginal Health Workers. This module aims to define your role in bowel cancer prevention, early diagnosis and screening, offering practical tips and case studies to support your learning.

Improve participation in the NBCSP and earn CPD hours

Take part in a Quality Improvement activity, using Plan–Do–Study–Act cycles to improve participation in the NBCSP (ages 45-74) via patient reminder prompts. Use the activities and resources from Cancer Council WA to help raise awareness and encourage participation in screening.

The Screening Saves Lives campaign is a joint initiative of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, BreastScreen WA, the National Lung Screening Program and the WA Cervical Cancer Prevention Program. It aims to improve awareness and participation in cancer screening among LGBTQIA+ communities.

The campaign responds to evidence that LGBTQIA+ people may be less likely to participate in screening due to concerns about discrimination or feeling unsafe when accessing healthcare.

A Stakeholder Communications Toolkit and orderable resources, including the Screening Saves Lives flyer, are available to help practices promote inclusive, lifesaving screening programs.

The Beyond the Binary: Improving Healthcare Access for LGBTQI+ Patients – YouTube webinar covers the importance of using inclusive language and culturally competent care with LGBTQIA+ patients. It covers strategies to create welcoming environments in practices, addressing factors influencing LGBTQIA+ community participation in cancer screening and providing information on available support services.

The Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program (ACNNP) aims to ensure all people with cancer have access to high quality and culturally safe care for all cancer types across the country.

The program is free to access and helps guide families, friends and carers to support patients to navigate the health system.

The program has multiple components including:

• Cancer care nursing services
• Cancer navigation services
• Specialist support services

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General practice teams seeking to build confidence in digital health tools can access a range of training resources designed to support everyday use in practice. The following resources provide professional development, practical guidance and topic-specific learning opportunities.

• Digital Health Training and Support (CPD accredited professional development and education)
• Practice management specific training
  • Using My Health Record in general practice
  • Electronic prescriptions and active script list in your practice
  • Introduction to active script list for prescribers
  • Clinical safety in digital health – introductory
  • Digital health security awareness
  • Using online conferencing and telehealth technologies securely
  • Cyber security considerations when working remotely or working from home
• Pre-recorded webinars for healthcare providers

For further information on other digital health topics, refer to:

• Active Script List
• Better Faster Access
• Provider Connect Australia

To further support your general practice team, the Australian Digital Health Agency provides useful communication materials on digital health resources that include a QR code to help staff access additional information.

If you would like support on the use of digital health tools in your practice, contact Practice Assist on 08 6278 7900 or via email practiceassist@wapha.org.au

WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) is seeking to engage a suitably qualified provider to deliver the care finders program across the Kimberley region with full service delivery to commence by 1 January 2027 and conclude on 30 June 2029. Care finders support senior Australians who are not able to arrange services without intensive support and do not have a family member or friends who can help.

Closing date for submissions is 10 September 2026.

Find out more 

Upcoming change for referrers: Referrals to WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Goldfields Public Specialist Outpatient Services

From Tuesday 8 September, all external referrals (from GPs, nurse practitioners, and private specialists) to 15 WACHS Goldfields public medical-led outpatient specialties will be managed through the Central Referral Service (CRS). This means the CRS will be the single intake point for non-immediate referrals to these services.

This change supports ongoing outpatient reform to streamline referral processes and improve access to specialist care.

Key primary care referrers have been advised of the change and are being supported through Q&A sessions and training resources.

See the flyer here for further information and contact details for support for your practice.

WACHS would like to thank you for your continued support as they work to improve access to public specialist outpatient services in the region.

Wear It Purple Day is Friday 28 August 2026.

Wear It Purple Day was created to ensure every LGBTQIA+SB young person knows they are seen, supported and never alone.

This year’s Wear It Purple Day theme is “Colours of Courage”.

Colours of Courage celebrates the many different forms of courage shown by LGBTQIA+SB young people, allies and communities every day.

Register your event

Planning something for Wear It Purple Day? Register your event here and join thousands of schools, workplaces and communities across Australia.

Download resources

Access free posters, activity ideas, social media graphics and workplace toolkits here.

Learn more here.