Deliver physical group therapy in Residential Aged Care Facilities

SEMPHN is pleased to invite eligible organisations to tender to deliver group physical therapy sessions in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) across South Eastern Melbourne.

About the service

Delivering an allied health group therapy program is a temporary measure aimed at improving the physical functioning of aged care residents who are at risk of deconditioning (a decrease in muscle following a period of inactivity) due to COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.

Services are to be provided to 20 participating RACFs in the SEMPHN catchment. A list of these RACFs is provided in the tender specifications on SEMPHN's eProcure. Applicants can tender for more than one facility.

Applying for this tender 

• All questions must be submitted via SEMPHN's eProcure.
• All tenders must be submitted via SEMPHN's eProcure.

Key dates

23 April 2021: Tender opens
27 April 2021: Optional industry briefing (register here)
3 May 2021: Questions close in eProcure
6 May 2021 (3 pm): Tender closes
No later than 25 May 2021: Outcome advised
1 June 2021: Contract commencement date
31 December 2021: Contract end date

Local practice manager speaks about care coordination and PHN support

COVID Vaccine Planning with POLAR

POLAR has a Vaccine Planning report that can help unravel the eligibility criteria of the COVID vaccine phases. Even if you’re not a vaccine clinic, the report can help monitor your patients. 

The report features: 

• Graph of vaccination status of patients: not recorded, received 1 vaccine dose, received 2 doses. 
• Lists your patients by the phase they’re eligible for. 
• Lists your patients both by the phase they’re eligible for and by vaccination status. 
• Lists can be refined by condition. 
• Tracks the vaccination phases by number of vaccinations completed. 

Want to know more?  Contact the Digital Health Team on digitalhealth@semphn.org.au or 03 8514 4460. 

 Information Sharing Schemes now include GPs and practice nurses

From 19 April 2021, GPs and practice nurses are included in Victoria’s legislated Family Violence and Child Information Sharing Schemes. This expands information sharing obligations for GPs and practice nurses.

The schemes require Information Sharing Entities (ISEs) to share information to assess and manage family violence risk and to promote child wellbeing and safety.

GPs will be required to share relevant information when requested (recording what is shared). The schemes will also allow GPs to request information from other ISEs and to voluntarily (proactively) share information.

The new legislated information sharing schemes:

• The Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) enables the sharing of information to promote the wellbeing or safety of a child or a group of children.
• The Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) enables the sharing of information for family violence risk assessment or risk management in relation to both children and adults.

More Information about the reforms, requirements under the legislation, guidance on what can and cannot be shared, including the list of ISEs can be found at:

• Ministerial Guidelines
• DHHS Information Sharing Schemes factsheet - DHHS Service Providers 
• Record-keeping requirements for FVISS and CISS 
• There are three new 20-minute Information Sharing eLearn online modules  

Quick overview of influenza updates and resources

Download the new Government-funded vaccine order form to place an order for all vaccines. Orders for all vaccines are now being processed and despatched.

Please combine flu orders with orders for other vaccines where possible to limit pressure on the delivery system.

Please plan and allow 5 business days for vaccine deliveries during flu season (consider public holidays when placing your vaccine order). Vaccine orders may be adjusted to ensure continuity of stock throughout the influenza season. 

2021 Influenza resources:

• Influenza resources have been published online by the Australian Government
• The ‘Seasonal influenza vaccine’ page of the health.vic website has been updated.

The Immunisation Unit has been notified of several administration errors where clients have received the wrong influenza vaccine brand for their age. Please take care to always check a person’s age and choose an age-appropriate brand before administration. Use MVEC’s Table 2: Influenza brand registered for each age group in 2021 as an easy reference guide.

Webinar: STIs Essentials for Primary Care in South East Melbourne

This informative and interactive session will provide you with the understanding and tools required to confidently manage common STI screening and care, making sexual health a routine, everyday part of your primary health care practice. 

Learning Objectives:

• Improve understanding of sexual health care for young people, pregnant women and other key populations
• How to approach taking a sexual history
• Describe the clinical presentation of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis
• Correctly perform comprehensive sexual health screening, including testing for the most common STIs - chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis
• Manage treatment, contact tracing and if necessary, referrals using the Health Pathways tool.

When: Thursday, 6 May 2021, 6.30 pm—8.30 pm
Where: Online
Cost: Free
Accreditation: This event is accredited for RACGP and ACRRM points. All participants will receive a certificate of attendance.
Register here.

Free suicide prevention training for pharmacists in Casey (12 May)

SEMPHN in conjunction with the Black Dog Institute is offering free training for suicide prevention in pharmacies in the Casey region.

This training is offered as part of the Place-Based Suicide Prevention Trials which is a partnership between the Victorian Department of Health and Victorian Primary Health Networks.

This training aims to increase pharmacists’ skills and confidence in:

• Recognising the prevalence of suicide in the context of pharmacy
• Talking with someone who may display suicidal signs and symptoms
• Understanding of the various referral options

One pilot session will be conducted on 12 May for pharmacists in Casey region. If you work in the Casey region and are interested in this free pilot session, register today!

When: 12 May 2021, 7.30pm – 9.30pm
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free
Registration here
Accreditation: Accredited with the PSA for 5 Group 2 CPD credits - number: CX20047

Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine (LAIB) Masterclass

Many clinicians have found themselves looking after patients who they believe require an intervention to address opioid dependence. 

While the opioid pharmacotherapy program has been around for many years, factors such as high cost, the large time investment required, and stigma have played a big role in making this a less-than-attractive option for many patients.

Long-acting Injectable Buprenorphine (LAIB) is a formulation of buprenorphine pharmacotherapy that has the promise to be a true game-changer in the area of Medication-Assisted Treatment of Opioid Dependence.

Join us at this Community of Practice event in which specialist clinicians will provide a comprehensive discussion of LAIB. Light refreshments will be provided. 

When: Wednesday, 26 May, 7 pm – 9 pm
(6.30 pm registration)
Where: Ibis Hotel, 297 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley
Cost: Free
Accreditation: 4 RACGP points (pending approval)
Register here. 

Practice managers, register for Part 2 of Quality Improvement webinars

After a very informative Part 1 covering the basics of Quality Improvement (QI) in general practice, we are inviting practice managers to join us on Wednesday, 16 June at 12.30 for Part 2. 

In this second session, led by Dr Paresh Dawda and Angelene True, we will be looking at the next steps of QI, translating theory into practice.

Learning outcomes for Part 2:

• Outline the Model for Improvement
• Utilise data to both identify the need for improvement and measure change and improvement/success over time
• Develop an approach to effective change management and mitigate the risk of failure

When: Wednesday, 16 June, 12.30 pm
Where: Online, Zoom
Cost: free
Register here.

New online bowel cancer screening module: Free for SEMPHN GPs

General Practices in the SEMPHN area can now access a new, free online learning module developed by Cancer Council Victoria in conjunction with Professor Jon Emery from the University of Melbourne to increase bowel cancer screening participation rates.

The ‘Increasing Bowel Cancer Screening in General Practice’ module takes 30 minutes to complete and can be accessed at any time.

Key topics covered in the module include:

• The new National Bowel Cancer Screening Program online portal
• Current best practice for bowel cancer screening and key statistics
• Frequently asked questions
• Intervention checklist for increasing bowel cancer screening participation in general practice
• Recommendations for patients with genetic risk factors for bowel cancer

The SEMPHN area has the second-lowest bowel screening participation rate in Victoria, only 44% of eligible people did the test in 2018-2019. 

Evidence shows that people are more likely to do the bowel test after being recommended by their GP or health professional. 

The module can be accessed here.

Interested to learn more about skin cancer in general practice?

Applications are now open for the Dermoscopy for Victorian General Practice Program.

Cancer Council Victoria and the Victorian Department of Health are giving GP practices the chance to receive both a fully subsidised Heine DeltaOne dermatoscope and enrolment to the Australasian College of Dermatologists’ Practical Dermoscopy course to get upskilled in skin cancer diagnosis and management.

The course includes self-paced online modules, clinical case studies, a one-day practical workshop and a final two-hour virtual exam. Completion of the course will result in 30 PRPD points with ACRRM and 40 Category 1 QUI and CPD points with RACGP.

To apply and find out more, visit sunsmart.com.au/dermoscopy or email dermoscopy@cancervic.org.au.

Applications close Thursday, 13 May.