8 August 2019

Full Compass 2019 program announced

The full program for the Compass Teaching and Learning Conference has recently been released, featuring five future-focused topic streams, including workshops in gamification in primary health care, the future of euthanasia, and 3D wellbeing, as well as a keynote address from Purple House CEO, Sarah Brown. 

The conference will be held in Darwin from 30–31 August and is free to attend. Registrations close Tuesday 20 August 2019.

Nominations open for 2019 Administrator's Medals

If you're working with or know of an exceptional individual, team or practice making a significant contribution in the NT primary health care space, be sure to nominate them for an Administrator's Medal today. NTGPE is a proud supporter of the award and we encourage the members of the public and network colleagues to submit a nomination by Friday 13 September.

New Indigenous suicide prevention model announced

Are you working in the Indigenous mental health space? NT PHN has developed a new suicide prevention model, informed and led by the Greater Darwin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The ‘Strengthening Our Spirits’ model was created to meet the needs and priorities of local Indigenous peoples and is part of the Australian Government’s National Suicide Prevention Trial.

Do your bit to increase bowel cancer screening participation

According to the Cancer Council Australia, currently only 41.3% of eligible Australians complete the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program home screening test, and that a recommendation from a health practitioner is a key motivator for participation.

They've put together an online toolkit to help GPs and other primary health professionals increase the rates of participation, with materials designed to inform and support patients and staff as they navigate the screening process, as well as to update practice systems to embed a culture that supports screening.

Call for health practitioners to complete stroke discharge survey

Researchers from Southern Cross University are seeking health professionals to provide their views on discharge planning for stroke survivors to provide valuable insights on implementation of a coordinated discharge model that reduces anxiety and depression and improves satisfaction with health care, continuity of care and general wellbeing.

Share your thoughts and experiences of the barriers and facilitators to coordinated discharge planning including training needs, resources and other potential solutions to address identified barriers to uptake in the survey.

Katherine GP Registrar Networking Event

Katherine-based GP registrars are invited to attend a networking event hosted by NTGPE next month.

Date: Wednesday 18 September  
Time: 7:00–9:00 pm
Location: The Savannah Bar and Restaurant, Knott’s Crossing Resort, Corner of Giles Street and Cameron Street

Drinks and nibbles will be provided throughout the event. RSVP to supervisor@ntgpe.org by 5 September.

CBD assessment: change in the enrolment process

The Australian College for Rural and Remote Medicine has announced a change in the process of case notes submission when enrolling for Case-Based Discussion (CBD) Assessment. Previously a candidate could enrol, pay and then collect their 12 sets of clinical case notes and submit. In some cases this process was taking from a few months to more than 12 months.

From now, a candidate cannot enrol until they have gathered all 12 sets of case notes and submit at the same time as enrolment. The registration process won’t allow the candidate to complete until they have submitted all necessary documents.

Bringing together prevention and implementation

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has recently released the third edition of its publication, Green Book: Putting prevention into practice. A must-read for GPs focussed on preventative care, the Green Book uses current evidence and lessons learned from literature and professional experience to make implementation of preventive activities as straightforward and effective as possible.

Melbourne Children’s GP Paediatric Update

The Melbourne Children's GP Paediatric Update (GPPU) will be held at The Royal Children’s Hospital on Saturday 12 October. The GPPU program comprises interactive presentations and workshops from paediatric experts designed to update GPs on a number of paediatric issues relevant to general practice. The GPPU is run and coordinated by The University of Melbourne's Department of Paediatrics.

GP registrar orientation support for training posts

Providing a fulsome orientation for new GP registrars is key to a successful placement with your training post and is a great way to kick-start GP training. In acknowledgement of this commitment, NTGPE has developed a support package to assist training posts with providing the time to GP supervisors, clinic staff and GP registrars to engage in a more comprehensive training post orientation for GPT/PRRT1 GP registrars.

This initiative was developed after receiving feedback from GP registrars, GP supervisors and training posts. It will be trialled for the 2019 training year and we will again seek feedback towards the end of the trial period.

Training posts with GPT/PRRT1s in 2019.2 received an email earlier this week detailing the support offered. Please contact supervisor@ntgpe.org with any questions or head to our website for more information.

Katherine mobile office scheduled for September

The NTGPE team will be hitting the road to visit our industry partners in Katherine from 18–20 September to deliver a GP Supervisor professional development workshop and NTGPE information session for practice managers and staff.

GP Supervisor Professional Development Workshop

Date: Thursday 19 September
Time: 8:30 am–5:00 pm (8:15 am arrival for 8:30 am start)
Location: Clinical Conference Room – Flinders University NT, O’Keefe House, Katherine District Hospital, Giles Street
Program: Using EBM for Diagnostic Decision Making, Using EBM in History Taking and Physical Examination, How to Communicate Evidence, Feedback and Feed Forward with your GP Registrar

NTGPE Information Session (for practice managers and practice staff)

Date: Thursday 19 September
Time: 11:15 am–12:45 pm (Information Session 11:15 am–12:15 pm, Lunch 12:15 pm–12:45 pm)
Location: Courtyard Conference Room – Flinders University NT, O’Keefe House, Katherine District Hospital, Giles Street
Topics: AGPT/GP registrar program updates, GP registrar placement process, GP registrar placement website ‘placemeNT’ and review of training post profile pages, practice subsidy, teaching allowance payments and more.

Katherine Networking Dinner

Date: Thursday 19 September
Time: 7:00 pm–9:00 pm
Location: Barrel and Cruse Bistro, 50 Giles Street

Please submit your RSVP by 5 September. For more information and/or to register for any of the above events, contact supervisor@ntgpe.org.

Supervisor Feedback

GP supervisors are required to provide formal feedback three times per term in the form of an online survey which is completed for each GP registrar under their supervision at these intervals:

• Six weeks into the term to determine how the GP registrar is settling into the training post
• 13 weeks (halfway through the term) to determine how the placement and training are progressing.
• 20 weeks (six weeks prior to the end of term) to determine GP registrar's ongoing progress and suitability to move onto the next training term.

You will receive two reminder emails during the two week period the survey is open.

This feedback is reviewed in detail by the NTGPE progress review meeting, which is made up of the Directors of Education and Training, Executive Manager Education, GP Registrar Program Managers, Pastoral Care Officers as well as the Supervisor and Practice Accreditation Coordinators. This meeting occurs after each feedback period.

NTGPE values the feedback from supervisors as we use this as part of triangulating a GP registrar's progress in the training program along with their term tasks, SGL participation, ECT visits, workshop attendance, and training advisor meetings.

We strongly encourage GP supervisors to contact NTGPE if there are concerns about a GP registrar as soon as possible. You can contact the GP registrar program managers (to discuss and/or request contact from a medical educator). You may also use the NTGPE Concerned Supervisor Feedback Tool.

If you have any questions regarding the feedback process please contact the supervisor and practice accreditation team via supervisor@ntgpe.org or on (08) 8946 7079

GPSA webinar: Communication toolbox to help your OTD

Overseas trained doctors (OTDs) of all levels of medical experience face many challenges Australian-trained GP Supervisors may not fully appreciate. This webinar from GPSA will help you as you support OTDs in your practice as they settle into a new country and community, adjust to the Australian medical culture and systems, and gain an understanding of culturally appropriate communication. For those who prefer to read, the frequently asked questions for this webinar are also available.