Health warning to gardeners using potting mix

26 cases of Legionella longbeachae have been confirmed in Victoria this year, a bacteria commonly found in potting mix.

Legionella longbeachae is a cause of Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia.

Early symptoms resemble the flu and begin to appear six days after exposure.

The risk of disease is increased with age, smoking, and in people with weakened immune systems.

Legionnaires' disease can be fatal in a small number of people in these at-risk groups.

The ingredients and dampness in potting mix makes it an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria.

To minimise the risk of exposure, gardeners should always follow the manufacturer's safety instructions, wear a mask and gloves when handling soil, compost or potting mix and wash hands with soap and water after handling soil and before eating, drinking, smoking or placing hands near the face or mouth.

Read the full health warning here. 

Care Coordination tender open for one more week!

Is your General Practice in the South Eastern Melbourne catchment thinking of implementing care coordination? Or, does your practice want to take care coordination to the next level?

SEMPHN is seeking eligible general practices to tender to provide a care coordination service for a period of 24 months while still working in the current Medicare funding structure.  

Either $125,000 or $250,000 funding packages, per general practice, are available through this open tender over a period of 24 months. 

Applying for this tender

• A recorded information session about this tender is available through SEMPHN's eProcure.
• All tenders must be submitted via SEMPHN's eProcure.
• Tender closes on 13 November at 3pm. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Read more on our website. 

To stay up to date on tender announcements, subscribe to our commissioning newsletter, SEMaphore. 

Relaxation of COVID Restrictions and the Summer Holiday Season

As of today, 9 November 2020 there will be additional relaxation of the current restrictions and both locals and interstate tourists will start to move around the state. 

Victorians and other Australians who have been cooped up all winter will also be keen to make the most of their upcoming summer holidays. 

We encourage all GP Practices, but particularly the tourist areas like the Peninsula, to plan now for what could be an early and large population boost from 9 November, with the potential for COVID clusters.

• Review your COVID Safety Plan.  Do you need to adjust parts of the plan to reflect larger patient numbers?
• Ensure you have adjusted your consumables ordering patterns to cover the anticipated increase in patient numbers
• Will you need to adjust your rosters and or opening hours?
• Check your PPE supplies and adjust orders if required.

We do not know how this summer season will pan out. Like the rest of 2020, it will be unpredictable.

Need some guidance? Please don’t hesitate to contact your SEMPHN Provider Support Officer (PSO) or email providersuppport@semphn.org.au

GPs, do you prefer using video or telephone calls for telehealth?

We'd like to know more about what influences your decisions on using telephone or video during telehealth consults.

Do you prefer one or the other? 

Let us know in this two-minute survey!

Free access to psychiatrist secondary consultations for GPs in the Alfred Health catchment

To support you in addressing the mental health of your patients, SEMPHN has partnered with Alfred Health to provide general practitioners in the Alfred Health catchment with free access to secondary consultations with an experienced psychiatrist.

The initiative, which will remain in place initially until 30 June 2021, is part of the recently announced Victorian Government’s $60 million additional mental health funding for 2020/21.

What’s on offer?

By prior appointment, you can access a free, 45 minute consultation by video or phone to discuss your patient’s mental health treatment, for example:

• viewing your patient’s management plan
• medication management advice
• referral and linkage information/recommendations.

This is a non-urgent service, and clinical responsibility for the patient remains with you (the treating GP).

When is this available, and for who?

The service starts today (9 November 2020) and is available to general practitioners located in the Alfred Health catchment. Please note, at this stage the service is only applicable to patients over the age of the 25.

Read the full article for more information. 

If you have any questions about this initiative, please contact our Access & Referral team Ph: 1800 862 363, 8.30am-4.30pm weekdays.

Last chance to register: Managing COVID positive patients webinar

Are you prepared for another COVID wave?

DHHS and Safer Care Victoria (SCV) have worked with the health sector and clinical leaders to develop comprehensive and consistent COVID-19 positive care pathways for all Victorians who receive a COVID-19 positive diagnosis. 

Low-risk patients can be cared for virtually in the community by their GP and supported by the local community health service.

Attend our lunchtime webinar to learn what this means for GPs and their practices.  Presentations by key medical personnel from The Alfred and Connect Health.

When: 11 November, 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm
Where: Online Zoom
Cost: Free 
Register here

Do you see patients with both mental health issues and substance use disorder?

The long and winding road that leads to which door? How well do we actually implement the “no wrong door” approach to treating patients living with both mental health and substance use issues?

As clinicians across Melbourne prepare to treat a population-wide increase in mental health presentations, an understanding of how to navigate treatment pathways is more important than ever.

Join our expert presenters as they discuss these issues in our upcoming webinar “The Long & Winding Road: Managing patients with both mental health issues and substance use disorder”.

The holistic management of these patients will be explored, including local social support services as well as both Addiction Medicine Specialist and Specialist Psychiatric services that are available for General Practitioners to either consult or to refer patients.

This activity is highly relevant for General Practice and especially in the current climate of a likely exacerbation of both mental health issues and substance use disorder due to COVID-19.

When: 7 pm - 9 pm, 17 November
Where: Zoom, online
Cost: Free
Register here. 

Back by popular demand: Compassionate Communication for Practice Nurses

Practice nurses, following on from the very popular Compassionate Communication webinar, Kim Poyner is back to broaden your skills and enhance your confidence to apply compassionate communication skills.

This session is a totally interactive breakout room format with case studies to work through. 

Please note there will be limited numbers able to attend this interactive format so register early.

When: Thursday, 19 November, 7-8 pm. 
Where: Online, Zoom
Cost: Free
Register here. 

Register today! Get to know the new community hospitals coming soon

Health professionals are invited to two webinars which will introduce the new community hospitals coming to Cranbourne and Pakenham. 

Join other health professionals and local providers on Zoom to get the inside scoop!

Cranbourne Community Hospital

The Cranbourne Community Hospital service plan is now complete and will provide a framework for how services will be delivered. Construction is expected to begin in late 2021. 

When: 19 November, 7.30 am - 8.30 am
Register here. 

Pakenham Community Hospital

The Pakenham Community Hospital service plan will soon be finalised. The plan will provide a framework for how services will be delivered. Constructed is expected to begin in 2022. 

When: 2 December, 7.30 am - 8.30 am
Register here.

New webinar series coming November: Blood borne viruses and STIs

Join your peers in this lunch time webinar series on 24, 25 and 26 November to learn more about Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and blood-borne viruses (BBVs). Each webinar will take place from 1 pm - 2.30 pm.  

This series is accredited by ACCRM and RACGP and 1xs100 HBV points. Note: Participants must attend Webinars 1 + 2 or Webinars 1 + 3 to qualify for points. 

GPs, how do you engage with the national cancer screening programs?

General practice staff, have your say in on the national cancer screening programs communications. 

The University of Melbourne, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM), Australian Primary
Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) and the VCS Foundation have undertaken a project for the Commonwealth Department of Health to understand how the primary healthcare workforce engages with the national cancer screening programs (bowel,
breast and cervical).

Findings from this study have led to the development of communication materials to assist in boosting participation, education and engagement.

Interested in participating or want to know more?

Contact Kristi Milley, National Manager at the University of Melbourne: kristi.milley@unimelb.edu.au or 0411 873 253

We recognise the importance of the whole clinic in improving cancer screening and would like to invite you to participate in a focus group discussion (via Zoom) to review and provide feedback on the developed communication materials.

The focus group discussions will occur in early December, with all participants receiving a $50 gift card for their time.