Professional development opportunities and events read more

Protecting your business from ransomware attacks
Take these secuirty precautions read more

Grants and tenders open
After hours GP and mental health funding opportunities are open  read more

Two new Practice Coaching modules
Customer Service and Using a Practice Team Approach are now available read more

ePIP update
Read about compliance letters read more

Get outpatient letters straight into your software
Monash Health is making it easier to receive letters read more

Cost of gout study
Do you have patients who might like to do a survey read more

Paediatric pathways for primary care
Do you work in paediatric gastrointestinal and respiratory care? read more

National report on mental health and suicide prevention
The 2016 report has some powerful personal stories read more

Pharmacotherapy training for pharmacists
There are Part 2 training webinars coming up read more

You probably heard about the ransomware virus that spread around Europe recently. It seriously affected the National Health Service in the UK. It was stopped in its tracks before it reached Australia, but the people who released it could change the code and release it again. You should prepare in case this happens.

Check with your IT support provider that the usual security precautions are in place:

• Make sure your security software patches are up to date. This particular virus exploits a vulnerability that Microsoft fixed in this patch.
• Make sure that you are running proper anti-virus software.
• Back up your data and store it in a location that is not connected to your main computer system. This is your best protection from ransomware because you can’t be held to ransom if the data is available from another place. Are you assured that your backups are working? A regular restore from backup must be done.

You should not have any computers running Windows XP. If you do, you should immediately apply the Microsoft patch, then plan to update to a newer operating system as soon as possible.

Remind staff and colleagues about the risk of clicking links in emails or opening attachments (especially when they’re from an unknown email address).

To reduce the risk:

• First hover on the link with your mouse pointer, and look at where the link is taking you.
• Take a second to think. Any link or attachment that is not from within your practice or immediate network, or a recognised friend, should not to be clicked. When in doubt, either call or email (in a separate email) your friend or the organisation asking them to confirm that the email is legitimate.
• Only click if you’re sure it’s safe.

More information about ransomware in the health sector is available from the Australian Digital Health Agency on their Cyber Security page. The Australian Cyber Security Centre can support you if you need information or advice about the incident on the weekend: 1300Cyber1 or acsc.gov.au.

And finally, the RACGP’s Computer and information security standards are freely available. They are a collection of best practice advice for protecting your systems.

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After hours general practice services in Cardinia, Kingston and Frankston LGAs

SEMPHN is looking for general practices in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Cardinia, Kingston and Frankston to expand their face-to-face after hours services.

Grants of around $100,000 are available to around 15 general practices to expand their bulk-billed after hours services by a minimum of 12 hours during the ‘sociable’ and ‘unsociable’ after-hours period.  At least two of the additional hours must be on the weekend (after 12 noon Saturday) and services must start from 3 July 2017.

Tenders close 3pm 24 May.

Accessible Psychological Interventions (API) Services

SEMPHN is seeking organisations to deliver an Accessible Psychological Interventions (API) service in one or more Local Government Areas (LGAs) within our catchment:

API are flexible services for consumers with a mental illness who will benefit from individual, family and/or group psychological services from allied health professionals.

API will replace Access To Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) later this year.

Tenders close 3pm 9 June.

Register your interest and apply for these grants and tenders on SEMPHN's Tenderlink page. Please note, all questions must be asked via the online forum on SEMPHN’s Tenderlink page.

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SEMPHN has launched two new (and free) online training modules: Customer Service and Using a Practice Team Approach, on the Practice Coaching website.

Customer Service covers:

• developing a customer service plan for your practice
• handling complaints 
• managing upset, difficult or aggressive patients.

Using a Practice Team Approach covers:

• understanding different practice staff roles and their skills and scope, to best utilise your practice team.

The modules include a series of training videos that are short, can be accessed anytime and completed in stages.

You can also print a certificate of completion for accreditation.

Who's it for?

Your whole practice team can access the training. It's for GPs, practice nurses, practice managers and practice administration staff. Practice managers can set up logins for practice staff and track their progress. 

Get the entire team on board and use these practical modules to develop a ‘whole of practice’ approach, to induct new staff or as an annual refresher.

For more information, contact the provider support team on 1300 331 981 or email providersupport@semphn.org.au.

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The Department of Health has received a higher than expected number of emails from practices who were sent a compliance letter regarding their ePIP target. We're told that each email will be actioned.

There is now a Department FAQ on the compliance letters in the ePIP Notebook (in the ePIP Administration note).

Regarding last week's item about the cheat sheets, we apologise to anyone who had trouble accessing the links. The best way to download the sheets is from the ePIP Notebook (in the Training and Support note).

An idea we heard about recently to help reach your target ePIP was from a practice who allocates a target per GP and offers a prize to whoever reaches the target first.

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Monash Health is now able to send outpatient letters to GPs via Argus secure messaging. This is a streamlined option for GPs to receive letters directly into their practice management software, at no cost. More information.

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Researchers at The University of New South Wales (UNSW) are looking at the cost of gout to Australian households.

If you have patients interested in being involved who are over 18 years old, have gout and are living in Australia, they would need to complete a survey (either online or paper) about out-of-pocket expenses that gout places on them and their household.

Participants enter into a draw to win a $200 gift card.

For more information or to take part, contact Nicholas Nathan n.nathan@student.unsw.edu.au or (02) 8382 2199.

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The Victorian Primary Health Network Alliance and The Victorian Paediatric Clinical Network are working together to develop state-wide paediatric pathways for primary care.

They are holding a forum on June 30 to engage, inform and gain consensus on the approaches for paediatric gastrointestinal and respiratory care.

The invitation is open for health professionals delivering paediatric care in this space including:

• General practitioners  
• General paediatricians
• Maternal and child health nurses
• Respiratory paediatricians
• Paediatric gastroenterologists
• Paediatric continence physiotherapists   
• Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
• Paediatric nurses
• Other related allied health professionals

Register to attend here.

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The National Mental Health Commission has released its 2016 National Report on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.

The report contains experiences of people, families and support people and examples of best practice work being undertaken to improve mental health outcomes and reduce suicide across Australia.

Read the report here.

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The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is holding four webinars on the Part 2 – Victorian Pharmacy Pharmacotherapy Training Program.

This is part of the recommended training for pharmacists providing pharmacotherapy (Opioid Replacement Therapy) services.

The webinars will be 7pm-9pm on 22 June, 14 August and 16 October. Register here.

The Part 1 - Victorian Pharmacy Pharmacotherapy Training Program online module can be accessed at any time via the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) website.

The training is free to all pharmacists, irrespective of membership with the PSA. Non-members will be required to create temporary PSA login details.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

25 May		Cabrini GP Lecture Series Term 1 Lecture 2- Common areas of risk in General Practice GPs Malvern Details and registration
27 May		Spirometry Training Course GPs, Practice Nurses Cranbourne Details and registration
27 May		Pathways to Improving Colorectal Cancer Care GPs, Practice Nurses Melbourne Details and registration
29 May		Service Integration Workshop for Victorian AOD Clinicians AOD Clinicians Frankston Details and registration
30 May		Common Foot Problems Experienced by People with Musculoskeletal Conditions & Related Management Approaches Allied Health Professional, General Practitioner Webinar Details and registration
31 May		Dandenong Practice Networks Practice Nurse,Owner/Principal, Practice Manager Dandenong Details and registration
1 June		Cabrini GP Lecture Series Term 2 Lecture 2- HRT. Which oestrogen and progestogen to use? GPs Malvern Details and registration
1 - 2  June		Practical Management Approach of Non Invasive Ventilation & Sleep Disorders- 2 day course Allied Health Professional, General Practitioner Melbourne Details and registration
3 June		Cerebral Aneurysms: When to worry? Which headaches and which patients? GPs Clayton Details and registration
8 June		St Kilda Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Owner/Principal, Practice Manager St Kilda Details and registration
8 June		Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Day 1 Allied Health, Case worker, Mental Health Nurse Fitzroy Details and registration
8 June		Cabrini GP Lecture Series Term 2 Lecture 3- Dealing with patients with Rectal bleeding, who needs a scope? GPs Malvern Details and registration
24 June		Drug seekers journey: From seeking to recovering GPs East Melbourne Details and registration

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

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