Professional development opportunities and events read more

Doctors in Secondary Schools - expression of interest now open
We are seeking general practices with an interest in adolescent health read more

$2 million more in AOD funding for SEMPHN
SEMPHN has welcomed the Health Minister's decision read more

National Cancer Screening Register update
The start date has been delayed read more

Can you find diabetes patients with no HBa1C recorded in the last 12 months?
POLAR GP's new Clinical Indicators report makes sophisticated searching possible read more

Mandatory disclosure of data breaches
National privacy legislation has changed and it will impact your clinic read more

Event: real time prescription monitoring
Come and learn about the system with potential to prevent death read more

Alfred Allergy Symposium 
Register now for this full-day event read more

Recognise Australia's primary health care leaders
Nominations are open for the 2017 HESTA Primary Health Care Awards read more

Immunisation resources to support children living in out-of-home care
Children in care may have missed routine or other vaccines read more

Fitness bands put to the test
This Cancer Council Victoria trial is looking for participants read more

We are looking for general practices with an interest in adolescent health to apply to be part of the Doctors in Secondary Schools program, providing youth-friendly health services in schools.

Selected general practices will provide GPs and deliver services for up to one day a week, in partnership with the participating school and staff.

There's an accompanying role for a nurse from the selected general practice to work with the GP, particularly in care coordination.

Independent GPs may also apply.

There are five schools in the SEMPHN region that will have services start in Term 1 and Term 2 in 2017.

An extra 13 schools will start later in 2017 and 2018. 

For more information visit here or email providersupport@semphn.org.au.

Expressions of interest close 12 midday, 20 March.

Return to top

SEMPHN has welcomed the Health Minister’s decision to transition the management of a range of AOD contracts from the Department of Health to Primary Health Networks.

For SEMPHN this will involve managing from 1 July some 17 contracts with a total value of over $2 million for services provided by seven local AOD organisations.

The decision has given these organisations (Taskforce, YSAS, Windana Drug and Alcohol Recovery, Peninsula Health, SHARC, Inner South Community Health Service and Ngwala Willumbong Co-Operative) funding certainty at current levels for the next two years.

After that time it is anticipated that the funding of all of SEMPHN’s contracted AOD activities will be combined and allocated according to our ongoing needs assessment.

“SEMPHN will be working with all seven AOD organisations affected by today’s announcement to ensure a smooth contract transition,” CEO Elizabeth Deveny said.

The Minister’s announcement can be found here.

Return to top

The start date for Australia’s first National Cancer Screening Register has been delayed. This is due to the complexity of bringing together and migrating data from eight state and territory cancer registers into one.

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program was due to commence 20 March 2017 and the National Cervical Screening Program was due to commence 1 May 2017.

The Department of Health is targeting December 1 as the new start date for the HPV-based cervical cancer screening test.

Until then, pathology providers will continue to provide access to the current test and to supplement it with liquid-based cytology – also known as the thin prep Pap test – which will be covered by a new MBS item number.

Read the full statement from the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer and the pathology update.

Return to top

POLAR GP has a new report called Clinical Indicators which makes it possible to do much more sophisticated searching.

You can now easily search for patients with one or several co-morbidities, and then look for events that have not happened to them.

For example, you can find diabetes patients with no HBa1C recorded in the last 12 months.

Once you have your patient list, you can export it into a spreadsheet for use in your recall process.

More than 100 general practices within the SEMPHN catchment, using Best Practice and Medical Director, have signed on to use POLAR GP. Compatibility with Zedmed is currently being tested in a few general practices across three PHNs.

We use de-identified and aggregated POLAR GP data to improve population health planning across the SEMPHN catchment.

SEMPHN offers POLAR GP free to general practices, installed on any of your practice’s computers, with ongoing licencing and support.

For more information and a demonstration, call our ehealth team on 03 8514 4460 or email ehealth@semphn.org.au.

Return to top

National privacy legislation was changed last month and it's likely it will have an impact on all clinics - computerised or not.

You're now legally required to notify the Privacy Commissioner of any data breaches as soon as they occur.

The legal team at Russell Kennedy has written an overview of the change and the steps you should take.

The RACGP computer and information security standards will be useful. In particular, think about how you can ensure everyone in the practice knows about the requirement and what they should do if they find out a breach has occurred.

Return to top

In 2015, 330 Victorians lost their lives due to prescription drug overdoses – five per cent more than the previous year. This is more than the number of overdose deaths from illicit drugs and people killed in road accidents. 

A real-time prescription monitoring system has the potential to prevent death.

The Area 4 and Area 5 Pharmacotherapy Networks are hosting an event at The Royal Melbourne Hospital on 21 March, 6.30-8.30pm about real-time prescription monitoring.

At the event you will hear from:

• Dr Malcolm Dobbin, Department of Health and Human Services – the need for RTPM and how the software will be rolled out to general practitioners.
• Dr Martyn-Lloyd Jones, Addiction Medicine Specialist from St Vincents Health - case studies.
• Sari, a ScriptWise ambassador - lived experience of opioid dependence

For more information please contact Bernadette Lane on 8514 6616 or Bernadette.Lane@semphn.org.au.

Register for the event here.

Return to top

There's still time to register for the full-day Allergy Symposium at the Alfred Hospital on 18 March.

The symposium has been designed by specialists from The Alfred Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology Service with GP input and is being delivered with support from SEMPHN. 

Come and hear interactive case discussions about important allergic presentations including:

• aero-allergy
• thunderstorm asthma
• drug allergy
• food allergy
• paediatric allergy
• anaphylaxis
• venom allergy
• allergic skin conditions
• occupational and environmental allergy

Cost: $180
RACGP QI&CPD Activity Number: 88722.

For further information and to register visit here.

Return to top

The search for the nation’s best primary health care professionals has begun with nominations now open for the 2017 HESTA Primary Health Care Awards.

Presented in conjunction with the 12th National Allied Health Conference, the Awards recognise the dedication and professionalism of those working in all aspects of primary health care including GPs, health educators, medical practice managers, rehabilitation professionals, physios, osteopaths, dentists, pharmacists and other related therapists.

Employers, colleagues, patients/carers, and individuals can nominate online from now until 2 June.

Each winner in three award categories, Young Leader, Individual Distinction and Team Excellence, will receive $10,000 in a ME Everyday Transaction account to use for further education or team development.

Finalists will receive complimentary registration for the 12th National Allied Health Conference, with interstate finalists flown to Sydney to attend the awards dinner on 28 August.

Submit a nomination today at hestaawards.com.au

Return to top

Children living in out-of-home care often miss routine or other vaccines.

Resources have been developed to provide immunisation-related information for carers, providers and child care practitioners who look after children in out-of-home care.

Important points referred to within these documents include:

• Children living in out-of-home care are often behind with their immunisations.
• Carers can give a GP permission to give vaccines to a child in their care, if an authorisation instrument has been provided by child protection.
• To enrol in childcare, a child must have an immunisation status certificate showing which immunisations they have received.
• Centrelink family payments may stop if a child is not up to date with vaccinations.

The resources, along with other immunisation information, can be found at here. For more information or feedback about the resources, contact the immunisation section at immunisation@dhhs.vic.gov.au.

Return to top

The popularity of fitness bands has risen in the past few years, but how useful are they in making us more physically active? 

Funded by the World Cancer Research Fund, Cancer Council Victoria's ACTIVATE Trial aims to investigate whether fitness bands are a useful method for increasing activity among breast cancer survivors.

The 12-week intervention asks participants to use a fitness band (provided free - Garmin Vivofit2) to increase their physical activity engagement and reduce sitting time.

Participants can take part if they:

• have been diagnosed with breast cancer
• have completed their treatment
• are post-menopausal
• lead an inactive or sedentary lifestyle

If you have patients or clients who might be interested in taking part in this study, please ask them to contact Brigid Lynch at Cancer Council Victoria on (03) 9514 6209 or email brigid.lynch@cancervic.org.au

Return to top

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

7 Mar	Suicide Prevention Workshop Allied Health Providers, Mental Health Workers Dandenong Details and registration
9 Mar	Alcohol & Illicit Drug Use in LGBTIQ Communities Allied Health Professional, GPs, Pharmacist Melbourne Details and registration
9 Mar	Cabrini GP Lecture 3, Common Foot & Ankle problems GPs Malvern Details and registration
10 Mar	Suicide Prevention Workshop Allied Health Professional, Case worker, Practice Nurse, Mental health Nurse, Psychologist South Melbourne Details and registration
14 Mar	Commissioning services to improve health outcomes for priority population groups with complex and chronic conditions Aboriginal Health Worker, CEO, GPs, Manager, Practice Nurse, Owner/Principal SEMPHN Heatherton Details and registration
16 Mar	Understanding and responding to AOD issues Health Professionals Fitzroy Details and registration
16 Mar	Cabrini GP Lecture 4, LUTS and the Prostate GPs Malvern Details and registration
18 Mar	The Alfred Allergy Symposium GPs Melbourne Details and registration
18 Mar	The Breathless Patient - when to worry GPs Melbourne Details and registration
18 Mar	Breast, Gynae and Prostate Cancer in Primary Care GPs Melbourne Details and registration
22 Mar	Maximising Mental Health in Aged Care - Waitlist GPs,  Aged Care Managers, Aged Care Nurses, Pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals Mornington Details and registration

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

Return to Top