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Free wellbeing support available for primary health staffGeneral practice staff and health workers across the region are working hard to support the community with COVID-19 support or the COVID-19 vaccination roll out. Thank you to all health workers for your crucial role in supporting the community. SEMPHN is offering general practice staff and all health workers in the catchment access to its Employee Assistance Program (EAP). SEMPHN's EAP provides up to four free short-term professional counselling sessions and can be done virtually or over the phone. We have two experienced psychologists available for appointments. Click here for more information. Free access to psychiatrist secondary consultations for GPsSEMPHN continues to partner with Monash Health to provide general practitioners with free access to secondary consultations with an experienced psychiatrist. You can access a free, 30-minute phone consultation during business hours to discuss your patient’s mental health, for example: diagnostic issues, medication options, developing safety plans and general management. This is a non-urgent service, and clinical responsibility for the patient remains with you (the treating GP). To access the service, call SEMPHN’s Access & Referral (1800 862 363, 8.30 am — 4.30 pm weekdays). Faxed referrals will not be accepted. For more information, click here. Grace period for Closing the Gap PBS Co‑payment Program ChangesSince the changes to the Closing the Gap (CTG) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Co-payment Program were introduced on 1 July 2021, it has emerged that some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were previously receiving benefits via the Program are not actually registered for the Program through Services Australia. The Department, together with Services Australia, has implemented a grace period from 12 July 2021 to 30 September 2021. The grace period will prevent CTG annotated prescriptions from being rejected at the time of dispensing if the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person is not formally registered in the new centralised database. During the grace period, if a CTG annotated prescription is presented by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person and they are not correctly registered, the pharmacist will receive a warning message through their dispensing system, however the CTG prescription will still be able to be dispensed. Find participating clinics involved in tuberculosis screeningSince 2018, the Victorian Tuberculosis Program (VTP) and SEMPHN have collaborated in implementing tuberculosis screening, management and prevention in General Practice across the SEMPHN region. Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is an asymptomatic condition that may progress to active tuberculosis (TB), sometimes decades after exposure. Many people are unaware of LTBI, but around 1 in 6 people born outside of Australia are estimated to be infected*. Most people with active TB in Australia have not had recent contact and have been unaware of their risk. Participating clinics are listed here. Management of latent tuberculosis, including testing and treatment where appropriate, is available through these clinics, with support provided by the VTP. View the introduction video. If your clinic is interested in finding out more, please contact:
*Source: Dale KD et al. Estimating the prevalence of latent tuberculosis in a low-incidence setting: Australia. European Respiratory Journal. 2018 Dec 1;52(6). Mandatory reporting of NIP vaccines to the AIR began on 1 July 2021The Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is a whole-of-life, national immunisation register, which records vaccines given to all people in Australia. This includes:
Mandatory reporting of vaccinations to the AIR commenced in February 2021 for:
Further legislative changes mean that from 1 July 2021, vaccination providers are now also required to report to the AIR all NIP vaccines given. Reporting these vaccinations to the AIR means that the register contains a complete and reliable dataset and is able to monitor immunisation coverage and administration. It also means that individuals have a complete record of their vaccinations. Family violenceHelp shape family violence training for GPsThe Bayside-Peninsula Integrated Family Violence Partnership is inviting GPs and Medical Practices from the Bayside Peninsula area (Port Melbourne to Portsea) to participate in a one-hour co-design session led by Uniting, to design a Family Violence Response training program for local general practices. The session will be conducted by experienced family violence training coordinators, who are seeking your thoughts on the most useful training topics in family violence response for GPs, as well as how GPs might collaborate (with other service providers) to integrate new information-sharing reforms into daily practice. Your feedback and input at this session will help shape Uniting’s essential training and information sessions for GPs in the coming months. These sessions are part of the reforms resulting from the state-wide response to family violence, and authorise service providers and workforces to assess family violence and share risk-relevant information with other service providers. Spaces are limited. To express your interest in participating, please contact: Beth Dangerfield, beth.dangerfield@semphn.org.au or your Provider Support Officer. Community of Practice: Identifying and responding to family violenceAlfred Health, SEMPHN, Southern Melbourne PCP and ADMA are pleased to invite health professionals from Port Phillip, Stonnington, Bayside, Glen Eira and Kingston to join the next Integrated Care, Community of Practice (CoP) discussion. The conversation will focus on how organisations work together in identifying and responding to family violence. The case discussion will be jointly provided by Georgina Young from the Salvation Army Family Violence Service and Kellie Muir Family Violence Project Coordinator, Family Violence Program at Alfred Health Jo Gibbs, nurse and Founder of Treat (Therapeutic Relaxation and Enhanced Awareness Training) will share a short relaxation practice at the end of the session. Jo works with three hospital health services, providing rest and recovery sessions. This session will be chaired by Dr Daniel Fineberg, Dept of General Medicine, Alfred Health. When: Tuesday, 27 July 2021, 1 pm – 1.45 pm Webinar: Supporting Behaviour Change (28 July)This webinar is aimed at health professionals working with patients who have had a cardiac event. The webinar will reinforce clinicians' knowledge of patterns of behaviour change following a cardiac event, highlighting the importance of supporting patients’ recovery through the use of psychosocial strategies. Behaviour change theories will also be highlighted. You will be introduced to practical strategies to assess clients’ needs for support with their behaviour change goals, along with practical evidence-based strategies which can be incorporated into a behaviour change consultation to improve efficacy. Learn more about the services offered through the Australian Centre for Heart Health’s Cardiac Wellbeing Program (CWP), with the aim of giving attendees an understanding of how these services can complement cardiac rehabilitation and support behaviour change maintenance. When: Wednesday, 28 July 1.30 pm — 2.30 pm Webinar: Vulvodynia —
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