Professional development opportunities and events read more

Frankston Practice Network
Get together with your peers at the next meeting read more

2017 snapshot of nurses working in primary care
Be part of the snapshot by completing this survey read more

Have your say on the National Palliative Care Strategy
The online consultation is now open read more

Australian Digital Health Strategy released
Read this comprehensive strategy about meeting the health needs of modern Australia read more

Education: Refugee health & wellbeing in general practice
Would you like to better assess and manage patients with a refugee background? read more

Campaign to urge 20,000+ more Victorians to complete bowel cancer screening home tests
Get help with your SMS reminders and recall systems read more

Breast screening saves lives
Encourage screening and make a difference read more

RSL Care and RDNS rebrand to become Bolton Clarke
There are no changes to existing services read more

SEMPHN-facilitated local Practice Networks are an ideal place to get together with your peers, as well as hearing from presenters and invited guests.

The next Practice Network meeting is:

• Frankston, 17 August at Cube 37 Frankston Arts Centre 6.00 – 7.30pm Details and registration

The Practice Managers presentation will discuss suicide prevention and up-skilling clinical staff to create a supportive environment within practices.

The Nurses presentation will cover optimal care pathways for people with bowel cancer.

Network meetings are held every two months in each location. A light dinner is provided, with dedicated time to talk among yourselves after the presentations.

Participants will also be invited to an online information sharing network via Basecamp.

First timers can register via our website Events page.

For more information contact Kate Ryan on 8514 6608 or email kate.ryan@semphn.org.au.

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The Australian Practice Nurse Association (APNA) would like to understand the capacity, conditions and experiences of practice nurses.

You can be part of the 2017 snapshot by completing this 25 minute survey. It's recommended to complete the survey on your desktop computer rather than a tablet or mobile phone.

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The online consultation on the draft updated National Palliative Care Strategy is now open.

You can feedback here.

This is an opportunity to comment on the draft Strategy and offer any suggestions for improvement.

The survey will take between 10 and 30 minutes to complete, and responses are confidential. The survey closes 5pm, 15 September.

You are also able to register to attend a workshop to provide feedback on the draft updated National Strategy. 

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The Australian Digital Health Strategy was released recently.

Called 'Safe, seamless and secure: evolving health and care to
meet the needs of modern Australia', the Strategy is the product of detailed consultation and co-production with patients, consumers and carers – and the healthcare professionals, industry, organisations and innovators who serve them.

Consultation included a consumer forum held in January at Sandringham, hosted by SEMPHN with the Australian Digital Health Agency

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GPs and practice nurses, would you like to be able to better assess and manage patients with a refugee background?

SEMPHN is offering a full-day education session 'Refugee health & wellbeing: essentials for assessment and management in general practice' on 2 September in Dandenong, in partnership with Monash Health.

Presented by refugee health experts from Monash Health Refugee Health and Wellbeing, topics will include:

• the current context of refugees in Victoria
• conducting a refugee health assessment
• communication strategies
• billing
• managing common infectious diseases
• developing immunisation catch-up schedules and paediatric issues.

Register here by 28 August or for more information contact  Stephenie Cook on stephenie.cook@semphn.org.au or 03 8514 6609.

The event is accredited with the RACGP for 40 Category 1 points.  Activity number: 108244.

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Cancer Council Victoria’s new bowel screening campaign is expected to lead to as many as 20,000 additional Victorians completing the home screening test this year.

Currently only 40% of eligible Victorians complete the kit when it's sent to their home. In the SEMPHN region, the completion rate is even lower at 37%.

If screening continues to increase, 550,000 extra Victorians are expected to be screened by 2021, which could detect an additional 15,500 individuals with adenoma, before it develops into bowel cancer. 

The campaign is an unique opportunity to increase screening rates in your practice.

A great way to make the most of this increased interest in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is to use SMS reminders through the Cancer Screening in General Practice Project – through a partnership between SEMPHN, Cancer Council Victoria and HotDoc.

To find out more about the project, see the project flyer or contact Alexandra McNaughton on 03 9514 6572 or alexandra.mcnaughton@cancervic.org.au.

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GPs play a critical role in encouraging women to participate in regular breast screening.

BreastScreen Victoria recommends screening of asymptomatic women aged 50-74 years.

If you would like to order information resources to give to your patients, complete the resource order form. by clicking on “Health Professionals”.

Did you know?

• One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime
• 75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50
• The risk of breast cancer increases with age
• A breast screen once every two years is the best way of monitoring for any change in breast tissue
• Early detection gives women the best chance of successful treatment and recovery
• A breast screen takes just 10 minutes, every two years.

Breast screens through BreastScreen Victoria are free and making an appointment is simple - phone BreastScreen Victoria on 13 20 50 or register online via breastscreen.org.au

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RSL Care and RDNS (Royal District
Nursing Service) have come together to form one organisation called Bolton Clarke.

There are no changes to existing services.

Visit boltonclarke.com.au for more information.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Dates		Event
16  Aug		Real-Time Prescription Monitoring: Challenges and Opportunities GPs, Pharmacists, AOD Workers, Nurses Glen Waverley Details and registration
16 Aug		Thunderstorm Asthma Workshops GPs, Practice Nurse, Pharmacist, Physiotherapists Brighton Details and registration
17 Aug		Frankston Practice Networks Practice Managers, Practice Nurses Frankston Details and registration
17-18 Aug		Australian Youth AOD Conference 2017 Allied Health Professional, GPs, Other Melbourne Details and registration
17 Aug		Coordinating mental health care for people experiencing suicide bereavement webinar Mental health practitioners Webinar Details and registrations
21-22 Aug		Course in Wound Closure and Suturing Nurses, GPs, Allied Healthcare Workers Frankston Details and registration
22 Aug		Interesting Clinical Case Studies in Rheumatology Allied Health Professional, GPs Berwick Details and registration
23 Aug		Trans & Gender Diverse Youth Inclusive Practice Training GPs, Managers, Practice Nurses, Bentleigh East Details and registration
23 Aug		Lung cancer webinar -Diagnosis to survivorship What's new for GPs? GPs Webinar Details and registration
24 Aug		Cabrini GP Lecture Series - Rheumatology GPs Brighton Details and registration
26 Aug		Hepatitis C in Primary Care and Drug and Alcohol Settings GPs Essendon Details and registration
29 Aug		Thunderstorm Asthma Workshops GPs, Practice Nurse, Pharmacist, Physiotherapists Rosebud Details and registration
31 Aug		Cabrini GP Lecture Series - Melanoma GPs Malvern Details and registration

For more information about events contact Stephenie Cook ph: (03) 8514 6609 or events@semphn.org.au

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