Dear subscriber,

Welcome to this week's edition of Sydney Health Weekly! Central and Eastern Sydney PHN aims to make this newsletter your efficient one-stop-shop for primary health news and events within the central and eastern Sydney region. We are constantly working on making your news as targeted and relevant as possible and welcome your feedback to editor@cesphn.com.au.

Multidrug resistant Shigellosis update

A Shigella strain circulating among men who have sex with men (MSM) in NSW has developed resistance to all recommended oral antibiotics. Request full sensitivities on stool specimens for MSM with diarrhoea. Refer MSM patients who present with severe illness to hospital for IV antibiotics.
Click here for more information.

Updates to the Medicare Benefits Schedule – effective July 2019

From 1 July 2019 updates to MBS are now available, a 1.6 per cent increase will apply to all GP, specialist and allied health attendances. For more information visit MBS Online. Changes to MBS include:

• Indexation to all GP, specialist and allied health attendances, and therapeutic and procedural items
• Deep Vein Thrombosis Ultrasound Item Changes

PRODA update: AIR vaccination provider transition from authentication file to PRODA

Department of Human Services has begun the transition from authentication file to PRODA to access the Australian Immunisation Register site via HPOS. 
Click here for more information.

GP rules for vaccine storage strengthened

NSW Health is advising all GPs of the strengthened rules to vaccine storage and management following the newly released third edition of the National Vaccine Storage Guidelines ‘Strive for 5’.
Click here for more information.

Attention BP, MD and Genie Users - Electronic Referrals Directly from Your Software

Best Practice, Medical Director and Genie users can take advantage of Healthlink Smartforms to refer directly from their clinical software to various services in SLHD and Australia wide. The Healthlink Smartforms include:

Sydney Local Health District

• Haematology Services Referral (Concord and RPAH)
• Rheumatology Services Referral (RPAH)
• Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Referrals (10 services)

Other Healthlink Smartforms

• Roads and Maritime Services Fitness to Drive Medical Assessment
• Australian Hearing Medical Certificate
• Oculo Optometrist Referral

For more information on forms available and user guides visit the Electronic Referrals page of the CESPHN website.

Treating Hepatitis C in General Practice Forum - Limited places remaining so register today!

This one day forum brings together GPs from around Australia to share simple strategies and local solutions for treating people living with hepatitis C in primary care and priority settings.  
Click here for more information.

Hepatitis C in Primary Care and Drug and Alcohol Settings for Nurse Practitioners

This course is designed to strengthen the capacity of nurse practitioners working in drug and alcohol settings to effectively test for, treat and manage hepatitis C.
Click here for more information.

Has your patient been treated for cancer?

Is your patient one of the over 330 patients in this region, enrolled in the ESCAPI Study? If so, you would have received a letter informing you that they are enrolled at the end of 2018, and another letter this year to let you know the study is nearing its end. We are keen to hear from the GPs who have patient/s enrolled in the study.
Click here for more information.

'GP ask the question' alcohol use in pregnancy project

In partnership with the Western Australian Primary Healthy Alliance, researchers from the Telethon Kids Institute have developed three short videos aimed at informing GPs of the importance of asking all pregnant women and women planning a pregnancy about their alcohol use.
Click here for more information.

Sequential Postnatal Depression and Circle of Security Group

This group is designed to support mothers with postnatal depression and anxiety and their families. Following directly on with the COS–P Group that includes partners, the program increases parents’ understanding of their child’s emotional needs that further positively impacts postnatal depression and anxiety.
Click here for more information.

Do you provide services to adults with acquired communication disorders?

Going home after a stroke is a significant milestone in the stroke recovery journey. To transition home successfully, patient-centred discharge planning is essential and results in reduced anxiety and depression, improved satisfaction with health care, continuity of care and general wellbeing. Successful discharge planning also improves compliance with community-based rehabilitation, and reduces length of stay, risk of rehospitalisation following discharge and risk of secondary stroke. As such, the provision of a stroke discharge care plan is recommended internationally in stroke clinical guidelines and standards. Ideally this process should be coordinated between acute and specialist care providers and primary care.
Click here for more information.

Is My Health Record becoming useful to GPs?

Five months after the opt-out period ended, has Australia’s digital health repository hit the threshold for usefulness?
Click here to read more.

Understanding the drivers of complex trauma to deliver effective primary care

The repeated experience of trauma can result in a broad range of complex and life-long adverse health outcomes, and people who experience complex trauma have greater and interrelated support needs. CESPHN is running a CPD event to explore some strategies to better support this vulnerable population.
Click here for more information.

NDIS Psychosocial Disability Support Event

There’s just one week to go until our education session on NDIS Psychosocial Disability Support. At the session you’ll find out how to help patients with a psychosocial disability access the NDIS. The session will also cover support for people who are not eligible for the NDIS. The session includes dinner and time for networking.
When: 6.30 pm, Tuesday 16 July 2019
Where: The Juniors Maroubra
Click here for more information.

Event: Cultural diversity in opioid use - enhancing responses

Led by Jenny Brockie from SBS, join a panel of experts from drug and alcohol services, multicultural health and consumer representatives for an informative and thought provoking discussion about ways to enhance support for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Click here to view the flyer and click here to register.

CPD event: Treatment approaches for benzodiazepines and insomnia

Join us for an informative discussion on the latest medical updates on benzodiazepines - prescribing and conversations with patients. Dr Sonia Kumar (Woolcock Centre) is also presenting on insomnia and treatment approaches.
Click here for more information.

CPD event: Pharmacotherapy for Alcohol Dependence

This session covers the medications used to manage alcohol detoxification and relapse prevention for alcohol dependent patients. This session is for GPs, practice nurses and other allied health clinicians working in primary care. It will assist them to understand the principles of detoxification, relapse prevention and aftercare for patients with alcohol dependence and will help equip them with the skills to identify, treat and or refer for detoxification, manage relapse prevention and aftercare with their patients in the course of usual consultations.
Click here for more information and to register.

Membership renewal reminder

A reminder to GPs and Allied Health Practitioners that your membership is now due for renewal. Note this is only for those members of the 5 companies listed below who were financial at 30 June 2019. 

• General Practice Eastern Sydney
• GP Crew
• Central Sydney GP Network
• Sutherland Division of GP
• Central & Eastern Sydney Allied Health Network

To renew, you will need to open the membership renewal email dated 1July from Sue Moxon - from 'CESPHN Info' address. The email will contain a link to renew via our secure payments portal by Visa or Mastercard.
Click here for more information.

Understanding the drivers of complex trauma to deliver effective primary care

The repeated experience of trauma can result in a broad range of complex and life-long adverse health outcomes, and people who experience complex trauma have greater and interrelated support needs. CESPHN is running a CPD event to explore some strategies to better support this vulnerable population.
Click here for more information.

Sequential Postnatal Depression and Circle of Security Group

This group is designed to support mothers with postnatal depression and anxiety and their families. Following directly on with the COS–P Group that includes partners, the program increases parents’ understanding of their child’s emotional needs that further positively impacts postnatal depression and anxiety.
Click here for more information.

Updates to the Medicare Benefits Schedule – effective July 2019

From 1 July 2019 updates to MBS are now available, a 1.6 per cent increase will apply to all GP, specialist and allied health attendances. For more information visit MBS Online. Changes to MBS include:

• Indexation to all GP, specialist and allied health attendances, and therapeutic and procedural items
• Deep Vein Thrombosis Ultrasound Item Changes

NDIS Psychosocial Disability Support Event

There’s just one week to go until our education session on NDIS Psychosocial Disability Support. At the session you’ll find out how to help patients with a psychosocial disability access the NDIS. The session will also cover support for people who are not eligible for the NDIS. The session includes dinner and time for networking.
When: 6.30 pm, Tuesday 16 July 2019
Where: The Juniors Maroubra
Click here for more information.

Event: Cultural diversity in opioid use - enhancing responses

Led by Jenny Brockie from SBS, join a panel of experts from drug and alcohol services, multicultural health and consumer representatives for an informative and thought provoking discussion about ways to enhance support for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Click here to view the flyer and click here to register.

Membership renewal reminder

A reminder to GPs and Allied Health Practitioners that your membership is now due for renewal. Note this is only for those members of the 5 companies listed below who were financial at 30 June 2019. 

• General Practice Eastern Sydney
• GP Crew
• Central Sydney GP Network
• Sutherland Division of GP
• Central & Eastern Sydney Allied Health Network

To renew, you will need to open the membership renewal email dated 1July from Sue Moxon - from 'CESPHN Info' address. The email will contain a link to renew via our secure payments portal by Visa or Mastercard.
Click here for more information.

Step Together Helpline 

Step Together is a helpline and digital service for families, friends and workers who may be concerned about someone is headed towards violent extremism. The service is staffed by trained counsellors, is free of charge, and you can request to remain anonymous. 
Click here for more information. Click here to view the flyer.

Understanding the drivers of complex trauma to deliver effective primary care

The repeated experience of trauma can result in a broad range of complex and life-long adverse health outcomes, and people who experience complex trauma have greater and interrelated support needs. CESPHN is running a CPD event to explore some strategies to better support this vulnerable population.
Click here for more information.

Sequential Postnatal Depression and Circle of Security Group

This group is designed to support mothers with postnatal depression and anxiety and their families. Following directly on with the COS–P Group that includes partners, the program increases parents’ understanding of their child’s emotional needs that further positively impacts postnatal depression and anxiety.
Click here for more information.

Event: Cultural diversity in opioid use - enhancing responses

Led by Jenny Brockie from SBS, join a panel of experts from drug and alcohol services, multicultural health and consumer representatives for an informative and thought provoking discussion about ways to enhance support for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Click here to view the flyer and click here to register.

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts. If you would like to submit an article or have suggestions on content you would be interested in reading, please email editor@cesphn.com.au.

Central and Eastern Sydney PHN acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and Sovereign People of the Aboriginal land. CESPHN recognise their continuing connection to land, water, community and pay respect to Elders past, present and future.