Professional development opportunities and events read more

Hepatitis A outbreak
Read the Chief Health Officer Advisory released 23 November read more

Increase in Human Parechovirus (HPeV) in Victoria
Read the Chief Health Officer Advisory released 16 November read more

Free meningococcal ACWY vaccination ends 31 December
Encourage patients aged 15-19 to get the vaccine read more

SEMPHN Annual Report now online
Check out our 16/17 Annual Report read more

Come to the last Practice Networks of the year!
The last topic for 2017 is the 5th Edition Standards read more

Do you have clients/patients in Frankston Mornington Peninsula who have a lived experience of suicide?
Free training is available 8-9 December in Mornington read more

How well do you understand the My Health Record expansion?
Please take 5-10 minutes to help inform education and support read more

Webinar: Getting Connected to My Health Record
The second in the series is on 30 November read more

Codeine update
Are you ready for the 1 February changes? read more

What's new with POLAR GP?
There are two new sheets available read more

Chronic Disease Service Mapping Project: grant closes Friday
Tenders close 1 December read more

Life! group courses start in five more suburbs
Have patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease? read more

The Deputy Chief Health Officer released the following advisory to health professionals on 23 November:

Key messages

• An outbreak of hepatitis A has been identified in Victoria, with ten confirmed outbreak cases.
• All confirmed cases are adults, many of who are MSM or report male-to-male sexual activity and have not travelled overseas.
• Outbreaks of hepatitis A can occur through person-to-person transmission, particularly sexual transmission, which includes but is not limited to MSM. Outbreaks can also occur through consumption of contaminated food/water.
• Offer hepatitis A vaccine to MSM and people in other risk groups. Hepatitis A vaccination is strongly recommended for all MSM, and is also recommended for all travellers to countries where hepatitis A is endemic.
• Consider hepatitis A infection in patients presenting with a compatible clinical illness who are MSM or have other risk factors, and take blood for serology (IgM). Sexual activity should be avoided while results are pending.
• Notify suspected cases of acute viral hepatitis to the Department of Health and Human Services by calling 1300 651 160, without waiting for serology results. This will help with instituting immediate precautionary infection control measures.
• Early notification also helps with timely post-exposure prophylaxis for contacts, once infection is confirmed.

Read the full alert Hepatitis A outbreak

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The Deputy Chief Health Officer released the following advisory to health professionals and medical pathologists on 16 November:

Key messages:

• There has been an increase in detection in Human parechovirus (HPeV) in Victoria since July 2017.
• HPeV is usually spread from person-to-person through contact with respiratory droplets, saliva or faeces from an infected person.
• Human parechovirus occurs commonly in the general population, and usually causes a mild respiratory and gastrointestinal illness in young children.
• Some strains can cause a severe sepsis-like and neurological illness in neonates and young infants.
• Human parechoviruses are not currently detected using standard enterovirus tests used in most pathology services.
• Parechovirus PCR should specifically be requested in cases of severe illness, and if not available from local pathology providers, can be accessed through the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL).
• No specific therapy is available; treatment is aimed at symptom relief and supportive care.
• Good hygiene practices are vital to protect against gastrointestinal illnesses, including HPeV infection.
• No vaccine is available to prevent HPeV infection.

Read the full advisory: Increase in Human Parechovirus (HPeV) in Victoria.

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The free meningococcal ACWY program ends on 31 December.

Please encourage patients aged 15-19 years to get the free vaccine while it's still available.

A significant number of 15-19 year olds missed the school vaccine program as they were absent when the vaccine was offered, or do not attend secondary school.

Get more details on eligibility and the vaccine programme via the meningococcal ACWY fact sheet on the Health.Vic website.

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New to SEMPHN? Looking for a round-up of 16/17 activities and achievements?

Our annual report is now online.

Check it out via the 'About -> Publications' tab on our website or go straight to the report here.

Are you a practice manager or practice nurse?

Come and join your colleagues for the last Practice Networks this year, where the Standards for General Practice (5th Edition) will be discussed.

There are three locations and dates to choose from:

• Dandenong: 29 November - Greater Dandenong City Council, 6pm – 7.30pm
• St Kilda: 7 December - St Kilda Town Hall, 6pm – 7.30pm
• Frankston: 14 December - Cube 37, Frankston 6pm – 7.30pm

Cost: Free. Sandwiches and coffee provided.

Please see the flyer for details and registration.

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Roses in the Ocean is offering SEMPHN-funded training for people with a lived experience of suicide who live in the Frankston Mornington Peninsula region.

The training, called 'Our Voice', is on December 8 and 9 in Mornington and is free of charge for participants (spaces strictly limited) .

Lived experience of suicide can be:

• having experienced suicidal thoughts
• having survived a suicide attempt
• supporting someone who has been suicidal, or been bereaved by suicide.

The capacity building program is designed to help people understand the role that lived experience can have in helping to reduce the rates of suicide and its impact in a local community.

Clients need to read the document 'Am I ready' and then submit an Expression of Interest.

A member of ‘Roses in the Ocean’ will then call the person to discuss and answer any questions.

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The Federal Government's expansion of My Health Record aims to have a record for every Australian by December 2018. 

This will be achieved by moving to an opt –out model where a record will be created for every Australian who does not already have one. 

In order to inform the education, training and support for the expansion, the Australian Digital Health Agency would like to hear from General Practitioners and Pharmacists about their understanding of the My Health Record system and the opt-out participation arrangements.

Please take 5-10 minutes to complete the My Health Record Program Survey by 15 December.

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This is the second in a webinar series hosted by the Australian Digital Health Agency over the coming months.

They are designed to help healthcare providers build confidence and familiarise themselves with the My Health Record system.

This is also in preparation for the national move to opt-out participation. All Australians will be assigned a My Health Record by December 2018.

Webinar 2: Getting Connected to My Health Record
Date: 30 November
Time: 5:00-6:00PM (AEDT)

More information and registration.

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From 1 February 2018, medicines containing codeine will no longer be available over the counter in pharmacies.

SEMPHN is publishing special edition newsletters to keep you up to date with information and resources.

See our first edition here.

There are two key events coming up:

TGA workshops: Codeine up-scheduling: A workshop about the up-scheduling of codeine, and the opportunity to engage with senior TGA representatives and leading specialists in acute and chronic pain management and addiction.

When: 28 November, 5pm for 6pm start
Where: Mantra on Russell, 222 Russell St Melbourne
For more information call 1800 020 653 or to register email RSVPHPRGExecutive@health.gov.au.

Biannual Frankston Forum: Best approaches to sensitive clinic visits: Join Area 4 Pharmacotherapy Network for patient engagement tips and an in-depth look at challenging topics including codeine seeking behaviour, sexual health and STI management and alcohol and drug use in pregnancy.

When: 6 December, 7pm-9.30pm
Where: Frankston Best Western.
For more information contact Jacqueline Apostolopoulos via ph: 0429 808 317 or jacqueline.apostolopoulos@semphn.org.au, or to register visit here. RACGP QI&CPD Program Activity ID: 115943. Total Points: 4 Category 2 points.

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POLAR GP has two new sheets available, one for key My Health Record metrics and the other for improving the management of diabetes.

The Diabetes Quality Improvement sheet gives insight into patient diagnosis, medication and HBA1C anomalies.

Other improvements include:

• a Quality sheet to easily keep track of the progress you’re making on filling any gaps in the data
• new filters in the Pap Smear Screening sheet so recalls and missing tests can be picked up at a glance
• an Info button that explains where in the clinical software the data came from.

Hop into POLAR GP and have a look at the improvements. Lindy Dell, Senior Digital Health Officer at SEMPHN, would love to hear any feedback you might have via lindy.dell@semphn.org.au.

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SEMPHN is seeking proposals from suitably qualified organisations to undertake a Chronic Disease Service Mapping Project in our catchment.

A grant of between $300,000 and $500,000 is available for the work, which will contribute to SEMPHN improving chronic disease services for people in the region.

Questions are now closed. Tenders close 3pm, 1 December.

To see full details and apply for this grant, go to SEMPHN's Tenderlink page.

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The Life! program is a Victorian type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention program.

Life! group courses are starting soon in Berwick, Brighton, Frankston, Dandenong and Mornington.

Run by expert health professionals, the free program is delivered as a group course or an individual telephone health coaching service. Participants learn about healthy eating, reading food labels, exercise, sleep, stress management and goal setting. 

Eligibility criteria:

• 18 years and over and have an AUSDRISK score ≥ 12 and a BMI score ≥ 25
• 45 years or more, or ≥ 35 years and of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent, and have an Absolute Cardiovascular Disease Risk Test score of ≥10% when referred by a GP clinic
• 18 years or more and have previously been diagnosed with one or more of the following: cardiovascular disease (including myocardial infarction, angina and angioplasty), gestational diabetes, moderate or severe Chronic Kidney Disease, familial hypercholesterolemia, serum total cholesterol >7.5mmol/L, systolic BP of ≥ 180mmHg or diastolic BP of ≥ 110mmHg, impaired glucose tolerance (by FPG, OGTT or HbA1c), polycystic ovary syndrome.

To find out more about the Life! program, phone (03) 8648 1880, visit www.lifeprogram.org.au or email life@diabetesvic.org.au.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

28 Nov		TGA workshops: Codeine up-scheduling GPs, Pharmacists, Nurses, Allied Health Melbourne Details and registration
29 Nov		Dandenong Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Practice Managers Dandenong Details and registration
29 Nov		Identifying and Managing Prescription and Over-the-Counter Opioid Dependence in General Practice GPs St Kilda East Details and registration
2 Dec		The Alfred Pain Symposium: Agendas surrounding the Management of Chronic Pain in the Community GPs, Medical Specialist Melbourne Details and registration
3 Dec		Victorian Opioid Pharmacotherapy Program Pharmacists Parkville and online Details and registration
4 Dec		Stop Domestic Violence Conference Australia All Melbourne Details and registration
5 Dec		Changes to the Victorian law on consent for medical treatment: Are you ready? Palliative Care Services, General Practice, Aged Care, Community Health Sandringham Details and registration
5 Dec		Tender and submission writing Manager, Owner/Principal, Practice Manager Webinar  Details and registration
5 Dec		Abnormal mental states and palliative care GPs, Practice Nurse Sandringham Details and registration
6 Dec		The Implications of Codeine Rescheduling GPs Webinar Details and registration
6 Dec		Biannual Frankston Forum : Best approaches to sensitive clinic visits Allied Health Professional, GPs, Practice Nurse, Pharmacist, Practice Administration, Practice Manager Frankston Details and registration
7 Dec		Codeine rescheduling & its impact on the treatment of opioid dependence GPs Richmond Details and registration
7 Dec		St Kilda Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Practice Managers St Kilda Details and registration
14 Dec		Frankston Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Practice Managers Frankston Details and registration

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

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