Increasing notifications of infectious syphilis in women of reproductive age

Notifications of infectious syphilis among women of reproductive age have substantially increased, particularly in major cities of Australia, posing an increased risk of congenital syphilis and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Specific actions for clinicians include:

• Repeat testing in pregnant women at high risk of infection or reinfection
• Consider infectious syphilis as a possibility when conducting sexually transmissible infection screening
• Test for infectious syphilis in any sexually active young person where they, or their partner, reside in an area of high prevalence.

Read the letter from the Chief Medical Officer. 

Easter: SEMPHN and HeadtoHelp referrals closed on public holidays

SEMPHN's Access & Referral will be closed from 2 April (Good Friday), and will open again for referrals on Tuesday 6 April from 8.30 am. Any referrals that come through during this time will be processed from 6 April onwards.

The HeadtoHelp phone line will also be closed from 2 April (Good Friday) and open again for referrals on Tuesday 6 April. A voicemail will be used at this time with this information, and HeadtoHelp will attend to any messages left by callers from 6 April onwards.

For those seeking urgent help during this time:

• If you, or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 000
• Call LifeLine on 13 11 14 - for 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services
• Call beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 - for 24/7 telephone support service. 

New infection control pilot project

Murray PHN on behalf of the state Department of Health and Victorian PHNs, will seek submissions from today for suitably credentialed and qualified infection prevention and control professionals to develop and pilot a phone and remote video-based advisory service that will deliver individual, tailored infection prevention and control assessment and support services to health services across Victoria.

 Click here for more information, including how to register for tenders.

Do you know someone who would like to share a story about their health?

We are looking for people who are willing to be interviewed about their health experiences. 

The interviews will be shown as a series of (de-identified) presentations or videos including audio interviews, quotes, and illustrations to portray stories like 'Sam' - to the left of this article. 

SEMPHN now uses DocuSign for contracts

We’re changing the way we manage contract execution.

From 1 April 2021, SEMPHN will use DocuSign — a secure, digital way to manage contracts online with less waiting and more certainty.

With one click providers can sign contracts and SEMPHN receives notification immediately. No need to copy, scan or post.

 Like to know more about DocuSign?
Visit the Help with Signing page at the DocuSign Support Centre

Got any questions?
If you have questions please contact SEMPHN by emailing commissioning@semphn.org.au

COVID-19 pages for health professionals

SEMPHN has a number of COVID-19 information pages for health professionals on our website.

Follow the links to access SEMPHN's pages on:

• COVID-19 information for health professionals
• COVID-19 Vaccine
• 'COVID fatigue' and infection control practices

• General Practice planning for potential outbreaks

• COVID-19 Information for community

COVID vaccination home visits

The Department of Health has advised that General Practitioners are permitted to take vaccine to the homes of housebound patients as part of the Phase 1B rollout, provided that GPs manage the vaccination cold chain.

This is positive news for those who are infirm and at home and provides flexibility for patients and GPs. 

All vaccinations are required to be uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) as per the current practice for COVID vaccinations. 

For more information on the AIR, visit www.healthvitalIT.com.au

How does the COVID-19 vaccine affect people with cancer?

Cancer Australia has released information on the COVID-19 vaccines for people affected by cancer.

 This includes a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the COVID-19 vaccines and cancer, and links to health professional guidance and research articles. 

Cancer Australia’s Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 vaccines for people affected by cancer were developed with input from people affected by cancer, clinicians and other key cancer control stakeholders, and queries and concerns raised on social media.

The answers to the FAQs are based on information and evidence currently available in Australia and internationally.

The FAQs and information will be updated regularly as new information emerges.

Webinar: Hot Topics in Vaccine Science

The Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre (MVEC) ​is hosting a webinar about Hot Topics in Vaccine Science on Monday 12 April 2021, 7pm – 8:30pm AEST.

An expert panel will be presenting the latest information on Influenza in 2021, Allergies and COVID-19 vaccines, and an update on the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

When: Monday, 12 April, 7 pm – 8:30 pm 
Where: Online
Cost: Free
Register here.

Practice Managers, save the dates for Quality Improvement

Practice managers join us on 14 April, 12.30 pm –1.30 pm for part one of a two-part series on Quality Improvement (QI).

In this first session, led by Dr Paresh Dawda, we will be exploring the basics of Quality Improvement in general practice.  

Part 1
When: Wednesday, 14 April 2021, 12.30 pm – 1.30 pm
Where: Online, Zoom
Cost: Free
Register here. 

Part two will look to the next steps of QI, translating theory into practice.

Part 2
When: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Where: Online, Zoom
Cost: Free
Save the date! Registration will be available closer to the date. 

What is the role of practice nurses in sexual health? (webinar)

Practice nurses, join us on 15 April, 7 pm – 8 pm for a webinar about the role of the practice nurse in sexual and reproductive health.

Our guest speakers are:

• Jess Elsworth Health Promotion Officer at Women’s Health in the South East,
• Cathy Halmrick, Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Services, Peninsula Health
• Cath Hannon, Project Manager - Sexual & Reproductive Health Clinical Champion Project.

When: Thursday, 15 April 2021, 7 pm – 8 pm
Where: Online, Zoom
Cost: Free
Register here. 

All Are Welcome: LGBTQI+ Inclusive Practice Toolkit for GP Practices

Enliven Victoria and Thorne Harbour Health are proud to launch their LGBTQI+ Inclusive Practice Toolkit for GP Practices.

Do you want to make small but meaningful steps in your journey to inclusive practice? Don’t have sufficient resources to undertake Rainbow Tick accreditation?

The All Are Welcome website can support you to these small steps and to frame them as Quality Improvement activities for accreditation purposes.

Not sure where to start? Your practice can choose to focus on Knowledge and Understanding, Attitudes, Communication and/or Practice Environment. A very simple checklist has been included to help practices to decide where to focus first.

You can then use the QI activities suggested on the website, or opt to design your own. Resources are provided to assist you to implement each QI activity.

You can also share some of your LGBTQI+ Inclusive Practice activities or resources so that they can be showcased on the website to inspire other practices.

Which online mental health portal?

Online mental health resources can be confusing. There's so much available and it's hard to know what's useful.

One place to start to find information about what’s available and what will help people's psychological wellbeing, are portals.

There are three major Australian portals:

1. Head to Health is a constantly evolving website that provides information for consumers and health professionals about Australian online mental health resources.
2. WellMob is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific portal that provides links to more than 200 culturally appropriate online resources to promote cultural and emotional wellbeing. 
3. MUMSPACE is a site that will lead you to a host of resources to support the mental health of parents in the perinatal period. These include websites, apps and treatment programs. 

If you prefer to speak to someone about local mental health services, contact our Access & Referral team on 1800 862 363 (8.30 am—4.30 pm weekdays)  or call HeadtoHelp on 1800 595 212, Monday to Friday, 8.30 am—5 pm.