Welcome to the special Christmas edition!

Merry Christmas and the gift that keeps on giving

From left: Liz Degotardi, Rob Trigger, Hilton Koppe, Sue Sladden, Helena Johnston and Cindy Venables celebrate 10 years with NCGPT, with CEO John Langill. 

A couple of Friday evenings ago, the team at NCGPT got together at a local restaurant for our annual Christmas party.  As we always do, we had a wonderful evening together, but this year we had something a little extra to celebrate. Over the course of 2013, six of our staff reached a milestone in their career with the organisation. They had all clocked up ten years with NCGPT and we thought that was worth celebrating.  Some of the names will be familiar to you and others may not, but I can assure you, they are all a very big part of the heart and soul of this organisation. 

On the night we honoured Sue Sladden (Sue was our very first employee and actually passed the 10 year milestone in 2012), Dr Hilton Koppe, Liz Degotardi, Cindy Venables, Dr Rob Trigger and Dr Helena Johnston. Each one of these people has made enormous contributions to the organisation over the years and unfortunately I don’t have room to list them all.  Suffice to say that there have been many along the way.

Of course, the individual achievements are important, but what is more important is the fact that all six are still here, ten years later.  In fact, just about the entire team that started with the organisation during our first three years are still here. There are 12 of them. Even better, as I looked around the group, I was struck that I will have the pleasure of handing out 10 year service awards every year now because our people are sticking around.

I’ll admit it, that’s something that I am very proud of.  A day doesn’t go by that I don’t count my blessings for the amazing people that I get to work with. That’s important, but the real significance of all of this is what it means for our registrars and the junior doctors doing PGPPP terms and the overseas trained doctors on our programs. It’s also about what it means for our GP supervisors and the practice managers and the staff at our training practices. 

So what does it mean?  It means that there is an incredibly experienced and dedicated team of people here who truly enjoy what they do and that are working really hard to make sure that all of the doctors in our programs are getting the best possible education and support that we can offer. It means there is a depth of experience and understanding that can only come with spending many years working in the general practice training setting. It also means that our supervisors and their practices are supported by a team that worries about your wellbeing.  It’s a team that has come to know you and to care about you, because we know that without you, our supervisors and our practices, we don’t have much of a program. 

When I first sat down to write this end of year Christmas wrap-up I thought I would be writing about all of the achievements the organisation chalked up in 2013. But really, Christmas isn’t about achievement. It’s about being grateful for the time we get to spend with our families and our friends. Oh, and yes, there’s that little thing about giving and receiving gifts. Well, this morning, when I looked back over 2013, I realised that I have been given the greatest gift I could have ever received.  It’s the people I get to work with and who have become like family to me. They’re the gift that keeps on giving. They are also the people who are looking after all of you and we are all very lucky to have them on our side.

So, to the extended North Coast GP Training family, to everyone on our programs, our registrars, junior doctors and overseas trained doctors, to all of our supervisors, practice staff and everyone else that we work with throughout the year, on behalf of the team and the board at NCGPT, we wish you all a very safe, restful and happy holiday season. Enjoy the break and your time with friends and family. We’ll see you back here in the New Year. I’ll give you that list of achievements then!

Merry Christmas!
John, CEO

A Christmas message from your DoT

I wish to extend the warmest wishes to all registrars, supervisors, practices and others – you know who you are – for the holiday season.

Some will be celebrating festivities other than Christmas and some will not celebrate, but pause to reflect on the year that has been and what they have achieved. I hope you may feel a sense of accomplishment for all the big and little differences you have made to people’s lives.

I hope we as an RTP and as a community can move into 2014 with hope and compassion, and continue to work together constructively.

I am writing this message from Port Macquarie where last night I watched some of our Port Macquarie registrars deliver a delightful performance of a new lifestyle intervention, set to overturn motivational interviewing, called "Blame it on the cookies." 

And on another happy note, one of our registrars, Valia from Port Macquarie is becoming an Aussie citizen on January 26t.h To add to the good news - she got 100% in her exam. Congratulations Valia! 

Leaving you with the following thought from a man the world will greatly miss:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela

Christine

Director of Training

Ho! Ho! Ho! from your RLO's!

It’s that time of year again when we look back and wonder how it is possible that 2013 is drawing to an end. Many of you will no doubt be basking in post-exam bliss after successfully completing your FRACGP exams to which I am overwhelmingly jealous. Gaining their big tick of approval is a fantastic achievement and we are all very proud of you!

To the rest of us, there are a few spending the summer days with our head in the books hoping to get by come February 15th. To this group - I understand how you feel, and personally can’t wait to be fancy-free again, and hopefully a little wiser. Remember to take some time out to spend time with your friends and family over the festive season, have a bubbly or two and take some well-deserved time off to re-charge.

2014 is shaping up to be a big year, with a record number of fresh faces joining us in February who will undoubtedly have a huge year ahead of them. Lucky for them they chose the best RTP and we can’t wait to meet them. 

We would like to thank all the staff at NCGPT for their unconditional support and hard work this year, which has seen the organisation take home many well-deserved awards (my personal highlight being “Best Film” at the Hollywood GPET convention dinner – see here http://genevieveyates.com/tag/gpet/). And to our registrars, thankyou for raising your concerns with us, for providing us with feedback and for letting us help in whatever way we can. Have a safe and happy Christmas and see you in 2014!

From your RLO’s – David Chessor and Clare Collins

Christmas tidings from our SLO

A Happy Christmas to all the hardworking supervisors in NCGPT and may the New Year bring good health and much satisfaction to you all. Also let me welcome all our new supervisors and thank them for carrying on the wonderful tradition of high quality GP education in our RTP.

A small anecdote to cheer all of you-Wendy Olden, our fabulous supervisor at Durri Aboriginal Medical Service was recently in our local news for successfully resuscitating a premature neonate at Kempsey Hospital and delivering the child intubated and stable to Port Macquarie Base Hospital into the care of David Macdonald, the paediatrician.

David was most complementary of Wendy's efforts and a lovely story was posted about it in the Port News and the Macleay Argus 

I tell you this little tale to emphasise what a fantastic job GPs do up and down the North Coast every day, exemplified by Wendy's work. And she manages to provide support, mentoring and teaching to registrars as well. We need to celebrate our achievements, because God knows we cop enough negativity anyway.

Have a great festive break one and all,

John Vaughan
SLO

Supervisor Satisfaction Survey

Thanks to all those Supervisors who completed the NCGPT 2013 Supervisor Satisfaction Survey. Every two years North Coast GP Training surveys its Supervisors to gauge how we are performing as an RTP and to get their feedback on ways we can improve our services and programs and operate more efficiently.

There were many great ideas suggested as part of the survey and NCGPT is currently looking at how these recommendations can be incorporated into how we do things.

There were over 25 suggestions for content to include in Supervisor training events so we will attempt to include as many of these as possible in future workshops.

Some of the key findings of this 20 question survey included:

• 100% Satisfaction with the overall service provided by NCGPT as the Regional GP Training Provider.
• 100% Satisfaction with the level of support provided by NCGPT Medical Educators.
• 100% Satisfaction with the quality of Registrars allocated to practices with 100% described as “Eager to Learn”, and 95% thought to be “Clinically Competent”.
• 100% agree the Supervisor Workshops are informative and worthwhile.
• 35% feel the hourly rate for face to face teaching time could be increased. Interestingly, around the same number were also not claiming the NCGPT Teacher Incentive Payment (TIP) which can serve to substantially increase remuneration rates. (NCGPT already pays a teaching rate above the average national rate but continues to review ways we can compensate Supervisors for the valuable work they do.)

Remember, NCGPT is always happy to get feedback from our Supervisors so you don’t have to wait for the survey to give it.

People to contact with Supervisor related issues:

Dr John Vaughan - NCGPT Supervisor Liaison Office (SLO)
Dr Hilton Koppe - NCGPT Senior Medical Educator
Sue Sladden – Practice Support and Accreditation Manager
 

Supervisor Survey prize winner

Congratulations to Dr Doug Warne from King Street Medical Centre, Murwillumbah who won the iPad mini that was offered as a little incentive prize for completing the 2013 Supervisor Survey.

In these days of electronic surveys we are all being bombarded with all kinds of email requests. Hopefully most supervisors see the great importance of providing NCGPT with your feedback, but we’re sure being in the running for the latest gadget makes the task a little more exciting.

RACGP Research Grant Awarded

Congratulations are in order for NCGPT Academic Registrar, Anthea Dallas. Anthea is one of a team of researchers, including lead researcher, Prof Mieke van Driel, Professor Parker Magin, Dr Simon Morgan, Dr Lawrie McArthur and Associate Professor Patrick McElduff, who have recently been awarded an RACGP/Therapeutic Guidelines Ltd Research (TGL) grant.

The TGL grants, which total $100 000 in value, are offered to fund projects that focus on the use and implementation of guidelines in general practice for a period of 18 months and are awarded by the RACGP on the recommendation of the RACGP/TGL Research Collaboration Panel.

RACGP Foundation Patron, Professor Peter Mudge, said the grants are a reflection of the pivotal role general practice research plays in improving the health outcomes of all Australians.

“This year’s grant applicants were of an exceptionally high calibre and all should be congratulated for their efforts. 

“The research proposals presented by the successful applicants conveyed the importance of guidelines in primary healthcare and offered positive predictions for increased future adherence in general practice,” said Professor Mudge.

The ChAP Study: Changing the Antibiotic Prescribing of General Practice Registrars Through Better Adherence to Antibiotic Guidelines, received $67, 967 and aims to develop an educational intervention that incorporates the electronic Therapeutic Guidelines Antibiotic guidelines on antibiotic use in respiratory tract infections.

The study predicts the intervention will be effective in improving adherence to evidence-based guidelines in GPs who are still developing their prescribing habits and that rational prescribing of antibiotics in primary care will contribute to improved patient outcomes.

Well done Anthea ~ happy researching!

Common Ground Men's Groups

Men's Wellbeing was founded 20 years ago as the Men’s Health and Wellbeing Association of Queensland, after several men already involved in men’s personal growth work noted the deep lack of Government or community resources for men. The Men's Wellbeing Group runs a series of workshops and programs for men of all ages. 

The “Common Ground Men's Group Program” has been run by Men's Wellbeing for 11 years. Common Ground is a solution to the problem of men isolating. It has a proven track record of bringing men together to enhance their ways of dealing with separation, divorce, perceived lack of meaningful contact with children, money, retrenchment, relationships, frustration and health issues.

There are two Common Ground Mens groups starting early next year. If you feel you, one of your patients, family members or friends might benefit from this program, please feel free to attend one of two free introduction nights.  

INTRO NIGHT - NORTHERN RIVERS

DATE: Tuesday 4th February 2014

TIME: 6:50 to 9:00 pm 

VENUE: CWA Hall, Tincogan & Gordon Sts, Mullumbimby 

COST: Free

INTRO NIGHT - GOLD COAST

DATE: Monday 3rd February, 2014

TIME: 6:50 to 9:00 pm

VENUE: TBA

COST: Free

Further information about this program can be found at www.menswellbeing.org/commonground.