SHW 18 November 2020 Dear subscriber, Welcome to this week's edition of Sydney Health Weekly. Sydney Health Weekly is your one-stop-shop for primary health news and events within the central and eastern Sydney region. COVID-19 UPDATE As at 16 November there have been no new cases of locally acquired COVID-19 in NSW for nine days. Now is not the time to drop our guard. Everyone is urged to remain vigilant. We need to continue to test, isolate, maintain physical distancing and maintain good hygiene practices. Focus is now on preparing for the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine next year. Read on for information on a webinar tonight on this very topic as well as research being undertaken on the impact of COVID-19 on immunisation services. Check the NSW Health website for COVID-19 updates. For local advice visit the CESPHN coronavirus webpage. Webinar: COVID-19 Vaccine – Where are we at? TONIGHT RACGP NSW & ACT in partnership with NSW Health are holding a ‘COVID-19 Vaccine - Where Are We At?’ webinar. This webinar will provide an update on the current state of vaccine development, the progress of human trials and program considerations relating to allocation, safety, and efficacy. VOX POP Cervical screening tests for pregnant women - new resources for health professionals “A woman can be safely screened at any time during pregnancy, provided that the correct sampling equipment is used.” To mark National Cervical Cancer Awareness Week the Cancer Institute NSW, in collaboration with South Eastern Sydney LHD and CESPHN, has funded a project to increase cervical screening rates for never screened and under screened women. The project highlights the safety of cervical screening during any stage of pregnancy. Cervical screening during the antenatal and postnatal periods is a key opportunity to review the need for cervical screening as women are accessing primary health care for routine antenatal and postnatal checks. A health practitioner fact sheet has been created and is supplemented by resources targeting Aboriginal women and women from CALD backgrounds, who are known to have significantly lower rates of participation in cervical screening within our region. For hard copies of the resources below, contact the South Eastern Sydney LHD Women’s Health Team at SESLHD-WomensHealthProgram@health.nsw.gov.au Cervical Screening Awareness Week resources: LATEST NEWS Call for submissions for Headstart: a new mental health service directory The Central and Eastern Sydney Mental Health Regional Plan aims to improve mental health, physical health and wellbeing of people with or at risk of mental health issues or at risk of suicide. As part of this work, we are launching Headstart, a regional navigational tool for mental health carers and consumers. For further information contact Wilhelmina Brown at regionalplan@cesphn.com.au If you provide a service in central and eastern Sydney and would like to be included in the directory please complete a brief online form. Please provide your details by Wednesday 2 December 2020 to be included in our initial launch. Have your say on the 2021 CESPHN CPD program Help our CPD team continue to provide informative, interesting and relevant education opportunities in 2021. We value your opinion and strive to provide an extensive range of learning opportunities to all Allied health professionals in eastern and central Sydney. As a thank you for your time and feedback, enter your name and details at the end of the survey (optional) and go into the running to win a $50 prepaid VISA gift card. EOI CESPHN AHP Peer Group Learning Program CESPHN is seeking expressions of interest from allied health professionals to participate in our 2021 AHP Peer Group Learning (PGL) Program. The PGL learning format allows AHPs to share their knowledge and discuss daily practice issues with peers. AHPs will be able to self-report with their governing / accrediting body. St George Hospital gynaecology clinic referrals GPs are requested to please use this referral form for referrals to the St George Hospital gynaecology outpatient clinics. A general letter addressed to the clinic is not a valid referral and is unable to be accepted for Medicare billing purposes. Veteran Health Checks Veteran Health Checks are an opportunity for veterans to access a comprehensive health check with a GP. Early intervention and targeted referrals can help a smooth transition to civilian life. Exercise for older adults eBook This eBook has been designed by Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) to encourage older Australians to become more active. It also covers the benefits of exercise for a wide range of common conditions and illnesses you may encounter as you age. Immunisation weekly update! Keep up to date with the latest immunisation news! Read about the latest childhood immunisation coverage rates for SESLHD, new information about AIR access, the upcoming webinar on COVID-19 vaccine development, and much more. Concord Hospital turns on HealthLink e-referrals for GPs Sydney Local Health District has now enabled another 22 HealthLink e-referral SmartForms for local GPs to make speedy, secure and acknowledged referrals to public access services at Concord and Royal Prince Alfred Hospitals. Virtual classroom sessions - understanding compliance requirements for accessing My Health Record The Australian Digital Health Agency is running one-hour educational sessions to equip practice managers and administrative staff with a sound knowledge of how to implement and maintain policies and procedures to govern access to the My Health Record within their organisation. These sessions are CPD accredited and will attract 5 CPD points for AAPM members. International Day of People with Disability world first kicks off in Australia! This year Australian Network on Disability (AND) is partnering with the global #PurpleLightUp campaign to celebrate International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD). On 3 December, the world’s first #PurpleLightUp 24-hour Global Broadcast will kick off from Australia! Essential skills to support perinatal mental health Strengthen your confidence in essential practices and language needed to support disclosure, explore risk and empower your clients to get the right support for themselves and their families. Productivity Commission releases Mental Health Inquiry report This week the Productivity Commission released the Mental Health Inquiry final report. The report outlines a wide range of recommendations to create a person-centred mental health system. We look forward to working together to address the recommendations. High blood pressure survey GPs are asked to complete a short, anonymous survey to understand knowledge about high blood pressure. The study findings will be used to create educational activities based on areas of concern and preferences of respondents. Contact: Rachel.Climie@baker.edu.au Multimorbidity management study GPs are invited to complete a short online survey (5-10 minutes) on their experiences managing patients with multimorbidity. The survey is part of a Flinders University PhD program of research investigating GP perspectives on multimorbidity in the context of life-limiting illness. Art from the Heart of the Cross The Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) launches their annual art exhibition, ‘Art from the Heart of the Cross’ this week. This is the tenth year the event has showcased the incredible talents of people who visit the MSIC. You can see the artwork in person at one of the COVID safe, ticketed sessions on Wednesday 25 and Saturday 28 November or view the entire exhibition online. You can also bid for artworks in a silent auction. EVENT: Addiction and substance use disorder webinar The latest webinar from our GP Psychiatry Support Line, Addiction and Substance Use Disorder, is now available. EVENTS Recorded CPD education sessions Central and Eastern Sydney PHN has a library of recorded CPD education. These videos cover a range of topics and can be self-reported as CPD education. You can find these videos on the CESPHN YouTube page here. As always, we would love to hear your thoughts. If you would like to submit an article, have content suggestions, or would like to provide feedback, please email editor@cesphn.com.au. Central and Eastern Sydney PHN acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and Sovereign People of the Aboriginal land. CESPHN recognise their continuing connection to land, water, community and pay respect to Elders past, present and future. |