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April 2015| Edition 10
Healthy North Coast
practitioner newsletter
3
1
GP
Focus
10
AMS
Focus
11
AgedCare
Focus
14
Pharmacy
Focus
16
AlliedHealth
Focus
inside
3. GP Focus
10. AMS Focus
11. Aged Care Focus
14. Pharmacy Focus
16. Allied Health Focus
18. News
20. Events
22. Classifieds
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Would you like a hard copy of this newsletter?
If so, please email your name and postal address to
healthynorthcoast@gmail.com and write
“Copy of Healthy North Coast Practitioner Newsletter” in the subject line.
GPFocus
PAL UPDATE
Administrative record keeping
guidelines for health professionals
The Department of Human Services has
developed administrative record keeping
guidelines to make it easier for you to
maintain good record keeping standards
within your practice. The information
provided is generic and allows for individual
tailoring to suit your practice requirements.
The guidelines include:
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a checklist to assess the administrative
record keeping standards within your
practice
top 10 tips for administrative record
keeping
case studies and information about
how to report suspected fraud
information about electronic record
keeping, knowing your responsibilities,
how to support and train your staff
and additional support services
Find the guidelines at http://ow.ly/L3E5S.
Reminder: administrative record security
The week of May 3-9 is National Privacy
Week. It is a timely reminder to practices
to monitor security and access of patient
records and update record security
procedures, so as to ensure the privacy of
patient health information.
Your legal obligations when billing
under the Medicare Benefits Schedule
(MBS)
Practitioners are legally responsible for
services billed to Medicare under their
Medicare provider number or in their
name. Practitioners are responsible for
incorrect claims regardless of who does
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the billing or receives the benefit, and
will be responsible for the repayment of
the full amount of the incorrect Medicare
benefit that was paid. Additionally, those
practitioners may be required to pay an
administrative penalty.
Here are some examples of incorrect claims
which incurred penalties:
Example 1
A health professional consults in a practice
where 50% of the Medicare billings are
paid to the practice to cover expenses.
It was discovered that the practitioner
incorrectly claimed item ABC, which had
a benefit of $120, when the correct item
was item XYZ, which had a benefit of $80.
Even though the practice received half of
the benefit, the health professional was
responsible for paying back the full amount
of the incorrect Medicare benefit that was
paid, in this case $120.
Example 2
Routine data monitoring identified a
general practitioner claiming daily services
at a rate significantly different to his
peers. During an interview under the
Practitioner Review Program, it was found
he was incorrectly claiming chronic disease
management items when he had not met
all item requirements, and that he was
also incorrectly claiming general practice
attendance items for services performed
by the practice nurse. The practitioner had
to repay the Medicare benefits he had
received for all of the items incorrectly
claimed under his name.
The Department of Human Services has
a number of useful resources to help you
stay up to date with the MBS and manage
your claiming. These include:
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health professional guidelines (http://
ow.ly/L3EGm)
online training, such as the billing and
claiming modules in Medicare for new
health professionals (http://ow.ly/
L3F0E)
billing accurately under Medicare
vodcast (http://ow.ly/L3F7q)
eHealth update - PCeHR usability
improvements
The National eHealth Transition Authority
(NEHTA) established the Clinical
Usability Programme (CUP) in 2013, to
work with general practice users and
clinical stakeholder groups to develop
recommendations to GP software vendors
on improving the usability of eHealth
functionality. Usability recommendations
in November 2013 and May 2014 resolved
GP usability concerns relating to displaying
PCEHR information on the screen,
providing clear wording around clinician
responsibilities for uploading Shared Health
Summaries, and providing clear indication
whether the patient has an active
PCEHR. The third update of the usability
recommendations is now available. This
release now gives vendors guidance on
how to enhance their software through
the use of prompts and reminders, as well
as allowing GP users to customise and
configure their PCEHR interactions.
Clinicians can check whether their
software vendor has incorporated usability
recommendations on the NEHTA website
(http://ow.ly/L3Fgl). Alternatively, contact
your software vendor to find out how and
when they plan to incorporate usability
recommendations into their product.
Clinicians can also submit eHealth usability
feedback at http://ow.ly/L3Fzl.
GPFocus
PAL UPDATE
My patient has recently been
sexually assaulted – what do I do?
If a patient discloses sexual assault in the
last seven days, he or she can be seen
that day by a counsellor from the Sexual
Assault Service and offered counselling
and a forensic medical examination by a
trained doctor.
The Sexual Assault Service is made up of
specialist counsellors who can provide
follow-up counselling for all victims of
sexual assault (regardless of reporting and
legal action).
To refer a patient in business hours, call
and ask for the Sexual Assault Counsellor
on intake:
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Tweed Valley area (07) 5506 7540
Richmond area 6620 2970
Grafton 6640 2402
Coffs Harbour 6656 7200
Kempsey 6562 6066
Port Macquarie 6588 2882
After hours, ask for the Sexual Assault
Counsellor on-call to be contacted – they
will call you back, so please give your
contact details:
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Tweed Valley area (The Tweed
Hospital) (07) 5506 7416
Richmond area and Grafton (Lismore
Base Hospital) 6621 8000
Coffs Harbour 66556 7000
Kempsey (Kempsey District Hospital)
6562 6155
Port Macquarie (Port Macquarie
Hospital) 5524 2000
If your patient does not want to see the
Sexual Assault Service, you can still help
by:
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thanking the patient for telling you
stressing that what happened is a
crime – it is not their fault
discussing emergency contraception
giving a hepatitis B shot if they are not
immunised
offering a sickness certificate
giving them the 24-hour Rape Crisis
Number (1800 424 017)
alerting them to the option of
anonymous police reporting via
http://ow.ly/L3Gfz
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asking if they will be safe when they
leave your surgery
arranging a follow-up appointment for
pregnancy and STI testing
providing other counselling options
If appropriate, don’t forget to make a
Mandatory Report.
Online training
Barwon Health and Barwon Medicare
Local have kindly extended access to
their online education and training hub,
GP Education and Training. Developed by
local specialists, the courses are approved
by the RACGP for continuing medical
education credits and are currently
available free of charge:
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Mental Health Skills Training (MHST)
Buprenorphine/Naloxone (Suboxone)
Prescribing
Long Acting Injectable Antipsychotics
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practices in our region and across
Australia
view your practice data via a suite of
tables and graphs instantaneously and
watch it change over time
use quality improvement tools, such
as the Model for Improvement, to test
QI changes in your practice
utilise a vast range of resources
collected over years of quality
improvement initiatives administered
by the IF
NCML looks forward to supporting you
on your QI journey. There is no cost to
you for the service, and NCML only has
access to anonymised data to assist with
interpretation and regional trends. For
more information on Classic CAT and
QiConnect, please contact the NCML
Provider Assistance Liaison team:
Visit http://ow.ly/L3Gy0 to learn more.
Tweed Valley: 07 5523 5500
Northern Rivers: 02 6622 4453
Mid North Coast: 02 6659 1800
Hastings Macleay: 02 6583 3600
Clinical Audit Tool - Classic CAT
The FRS can help GPs
North Coast Medicare Local currently has
FREE licences available for Classic CAT.
Classic CAT supports you to:
The Family Referral Service (FRS) is a State
Government funded program delivered
throughout the Far North Coast by the
Northern Rivers Social Development
Council in partnership with Interrelate. It
is a free service which links families with
young children (0-18 years old) to support
services and community resources to
ensure that children and young people are
safe and well.
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provide high quality patient care
be in complete control of your own
patient information
identify patients in high risk target
groups
improve practice revenue
meet accreditation requirements
Attention Quality Improvement partners have you registered for QiConnect?
Once you are using Classic CAT you will
be able to join the North Coast Medicare
Local QiConnect Quality Improvement
site – a new approach to measuring
your quality improvement work. This
innovative web portal was pioneered
by the Improvement Foundation (IF)
to enable you and others in the region
to get connected to support quality
improvement (QI) initiatives. With
QiConnect, you can:
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submit and benchmark your practice
data anonymously with other
The Family Referral Service came into
operation two years ago after the Wood
Commission into child abuse and operates
from Tweed Heads to Grafton. This service
can help children, young people and
families with issues relating to: domestic
violence experiences, housing access,
counselling and mediation, drug and
alcohol concerns, parenting struggles,
mental health concerns or finding
culturally appropriate support. However,
if other services are needed, the FRS can
help to find them.
The Family Referral Service can be
contacted on 1300 338 774 or you can
email support@familiesnorth.org.au.
GPFocus
PAL UPDATE
NPS
Over the past three years, North Coast
NSW Medicare Local (NCML) has been
delivering the National Prescribing Service
MedicineWise program to general practices
on behalf of NPS. As communicated to GPs
recently by NCML, as of the end of March
2015, the delivery of this program will be
carried out by NPS and NCML will no longer
be involved. NPS is committed to pick up
where NCML has left off and continue
with the provision of this most valuable
program.
Specialist health expenditure higher
than general practice
Information gathered by the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
shows that the cost of specialist (referred
care) services in Australia came to 14.2% of
total health care expenditure in 2011/2012,
compared to 9.7% for general practice.
Primary health care funding totalled 38% of
health care expenditure over this period.
Have you talked with patients about
their lung age?
Research shows that talking with patients
about their ‘Lung Age’ motivates them to
quit smoking.
Lung Foundation Australia has a ‘Lung Age
Estimator’ (http://ow.ly/L3Ij6) available
for health professionals to use in their
conversations with smokers as part of the
recently updated Primary Care Respiratory
Toolkit.
By entering a patients age, height, gender
and FEV₁ (Forced Expiratory Volume in
1 second), their lung age is estimated. A
graph is also shown which highlights the
rate of lung function decline. There are two
rates of future lung function decline shown
on the graph for an individual including:
Excluding general practice, this was made
up of medicines 18.8%, dentists 8.3%,
community health 7.1%, allied health 4.5%
and public health 2.2%.
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Not surprisingly, public hospital spending
was the biggest component of health
expenditure in 2011/12, accounting
for $42.0 billion, or 31.8% of recurrent
expenditure. The largest component of the
overall rise in health spending was spending
on public hospital services (up by $2.1
billion), making up almost a third of the
growth in recurrent health expenditure.
The Primary Care Respiratory Toolkit also
includes numerous clinical resources
including a spirometry calculator, packyears calculator, concise and summary
versions of the COPD-X Guidelines at
http://ow.ly/L3ID8.
The AIHW CEO David Kalisch said that over
the decade to 2011/12, the Australian
Government ratio of health expenditure to
taxation revenue rose by 4.0 percentage
points to 26.4%, while the state and
territory governments’ ratio rose by 8.1
percentage points to 24.5%.
“Our analysis of health inflation suggests
that in recent years annual price rises
in the broader economy have generally
been greater than price rises in the health
sector,” Mr Kalisch said.
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The estimated recurrent expenditure on
health per person in 2011-12 was $5,881,
a rise from $5,681 per person in 2010-11
and $4,062 in 2001-02 (after adjusting for
inflation).
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rate of decline if the person gives up
smoking
rate of decline if the person continues
to smoke
FEV₁ can be obtained from a spirometer OR
a COPD screening device such as the PiKo-6
or a COPD-6. Visit the Lung Foundation
case finding in the community page http://
ow.ly/L3IrT to find out more about the
PiKo-6 and COPD-6.
The Lung Foundation has many clinical
resources to assist you and your patients.
These are updated regularly with the latest
evidence in diagnosis and management
of COPD. To be kept up to date with
developments, subscribe to the Airwaves
Clinical Update via http://ow.ly/L3IxP.
DWS Status for Lismore
On 2 February, the Department of Health
(DoH) amended the District of Workforce
Shortage (DWS) classification system. The
system is now reviewed annually instead
of quarterly, using up-to-date geography
and population data and the most recent
medical workforce statistics. Since the
re-calculation of the DWS, Lismore and
surrounds is now classified as DWS for 12
months. This means that practices in this
area can now recruit non-VR doctors who
are overseas trained (OTDs), and therefore
affected by the need to work in DWS areas.
The NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN) is
a great source of relevant information and
support for practices who are considering
recruiting an OTD. Practices can advertise
vacancies with the RDN. The RDN has
also recently launched a new quarterly
newsletter, Practice Made Perfect, which
aims to help support general practice
recruitment and retention activities. Go to
www.nswrdn.com.au or contact Margaret
Young, Project Officer - Medical Recruitment
(Northern NSW) on 02 4924 8060.
New practice nurse workshops
The needs of practice nurses supporting
patient care in the community will be
addressed in a new series of Decision Assist
workshops that commence in March.
The first practice nurse palliative care
workshop will be held in Melbourne as
part of the APNA Conference on 27 March.
To register, visit the continuing education
section of the APNA website:
www.apna.asn.au
Similar workshops will be held in Perth
on 1 May, and Adelaide on 29 May.
Professor Elizabeth Reymond from
ANZSPM said practice nurses are integral
to driving change in general practice, so
it is important they are educated when
promoting change for the general practice
community.
GPFocus
PAL UPDATE
Decision Assist GP education
opportunities
In 2015, GP education and training for
advance care planning and palliative
care is a key focus for Decision Assist,
with the program rolling out a suite of
opportunities for GPs and Practice Nurses,
to enhance their skills and expertise.
These will be pitched specifically to GPs
and can contribute to CME points. They
include evening workshops, conference
workshops, webinars and e-learning
initiatives, as well as GP-trainee education.
The popular palliative care workshops will
continue nationally, with upcoming dates
in Brisbane. Visit http://ow.ly/L3JuL for
the full list and details about registration.
These workshops are accredited with
RACGP and ACRRM to contribute to
QI&CPD and PRPD points.
In addition, an online module as an
alternative to the workshop will be
available from April. This will be accessible
via gplearning for RACGP members or
RRMEO for ACRRM members, and enable
GPs to earn QI&CPD and PRPD points.
The Clinical Audit is also continuing in
2015, providing GPs with an opportunity
to review their approach to managing the
care of older Australians with advanced
chronic conditions living in the community.
Accredited by the RACGP and the
ACRRM for the 2014-2016 triennium, it
contributes to 40 QI&CPD and 30 PRPD
points.
From April, GPs can also register for an
Active Learning Module (RACGP members)
or a Theory Practice Activity (ACRRM
members). This educational activity
is an opportunity for GPs to increase
their capacity to manage the care of
older Australians with advanced chronic
conditions living in the community.
Also from April, GPs can participate in an
online ‘case of the month’ discussion. The
forum will be moderated by a palliative
medicine physician, covering scenarios
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AFTER HOURS
such as dementia, frailty syndrome, renal
failure and cancer. For more information.
email Karen Cooper from ANZSPM:
karencooper.ANZSPM@bigpond.com
Four podcasts about managing common
symptoms in palliative care will also be
available via the Decision Assist website
in April. The four topics to be covered
are dyspnoea, pain, delirium, nausea and
vomiting. Visit www.decisionassist.org.au
for more information.
Specialist operators, including specialist
palliative care physicians, are on the
Palliative Care Phone Advisory Service 1300 668 908 - ready to take calls from
GPs 24/7 on all palliative care issues,
ranging from medication, symptom
management, psychosocial support and
bereavement advice to information about
education.
Visit www.decisionassist.org.au for more
information or follow them on Twitter:
@DecisionAssist
Reminder: After Hours activity
reporting
NCML would like to remind general
practices that are recipients of the AH
PIP quarterly PIP payment that the After
Hours activity report is required for the
four week period Monday 6 April - Sunday
3 May 2015. Practices should forward
the completed template by 31 May 2015
to ensure timely payment of the May AH
PIP payment. Please also submit the Feb
2015 Quarter Practice Incentive Program
Statement Advice (if you have not yet
done so) to facilitate the calculation of the
May 2015 AH PIP payment.
The reporting template for April 2015 has
been uploaded. Visit http://ow.ly/L6DUs
for more information.
Practices that utilise a Medical Deputising
Service, or participate in District
Hospital AH on call rosters, or practice
collaboratives only need to complete
column 3: “AH Phone advice calls
received”.
The completed reporting template can be
forwarded to afterhours@ncml.org.au or
faxed to 02 6618 5499.
North Coast NSW Medicare Local
appreciates your co-operation in providing
this data to assist in better understanding
localised after hours demand for services
planning purposes. Any enquiries can be
directed to David Lacey, Regional Program
Manager – After Hours on 02 6618 5421.
For information on portion control
education tools, see page 14.
GPFocus
PREVENTATIVE HEALTH
(SNAP) guide: 2nd edition released
The RACGP has just released the second edition of the Smoking,
Nutrition, Alcohol, Physical activity (SNAP) guide. SNAP aims to
help GPs and their practice teams work with patients on lifestyle
risk factors of smoking, obesity, poor diet, low exercise and
over-consumption of alcohol. The new online format provides
a comprehensive list of resources and hyperlinks throughout
the guide for ease of reference. Practices will also benefit from
the section on how to enhance their practice organisation and
implement a business model for applying the SNAP approach.
The guide is available at www.racgp.org.au/snap.
For information on NCML’s Close
the Gap services, refer to page 10.
IMMUNE RESPONSE
Influenza vaccination
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
children aged six months to less than five
years will receive the seasonal influenza
vaccine for free under the National
Immunisation Program from 2015.
Indigenous children are five times more
likely than non-Indigenous children to die
from the flu, and are much more likely
to be hospitalised. Those who survive
a severe flu can suffer lasting health
complications including pneumonia, heart,
blood system and liver problems.
Free influenza vaccines are also available
to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people aged 15 years and over, and people
who have chronic conditions that increase
their susceptibility to influenza.
For more information, visit the Immunise
Australia Program (http://ow.ly/L3NLr)
and the Flu Tracking website (http://
ow.ly/L3NOy).
Myth: flu vaccines cause the flu
This common myth tends to circulate
especially around the time when
flu vaccines are being promoted. To
counteract myths like this and support
good decision making, it is useful to have
the facts:
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It is impossible for the influenza
vaccine to cause ‘the flu’. The vaccines
registered for use in Australia are all
inactivated, which means they do
not contain live virus. The vaccines
used are either split-virion or sub-
unit vaccines, which only contain the
surface structures of the virus, not
infectious particles.
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The belief that the vaccine causes the
flu could result from misinterpretation
of either mild vaccine side effects
or coincidental infection from other
respiratory viruses, both of which
can cause ‘flu-like’ symptoms. The
incubation period for influenza
is between 24 and 72 hours, and
the vaccine takes 7 to 14 days to
produce protection, so occasionally a
vaccinated person may contract the
influenza virus during this period.
All vaccines elicit an immune
response. Some of these responses
can include a mild fever and
headache, amounting to flu-like
symptoms. This could result in the
mistaken belief that the vaccine has
given someone the flu. These side
effects may occur with many different
types of vaccines.
Reference: p.43, Myths and Realities:
Responding to arguments against
vaccination – A Guide for Providers, 5th
Edition, 2013, DoHA
http://ow.ly/L3NUp
Pertussis
The NSW Ministry of Health recently
announced that the NSW Government will
offer free pertussis vaccine to pregnant
women in the third trimester. Refer to
page 19 for more details.
Cold Chain Survey by NCML
The NCML Immunisation Project has
developed a cold chain survey designed
to gather important information on how
you manage vaccines in your practice and
facilities. It will enable the team to provide
more focused support and targeted
education on Cold Chain Management.
Most of you should have already received
the survey, and many have already
returned them.
If you have any questions about the
survey, please contact Senior Project
Officer Sally Moore by emailing smoore@
ncml.org.au or phoning 66224453.
GPFocus
IMMUNE RESPONSE
2015 School Vaccination Program
Year 7 - All Students
HPV - 3 doses (0, 2, 6 months)
Boostrix (dTpa) - 1 dose
Varicella -1 dose (for those that have no
evidence of previous varicella vaccination
or infection)
Year 8
HPV - Provided to students who
commenced, but did not complete, HPV
vaccination in year 7.
Year 9
There is no Year 9 HPV program for 2015
as these students would have been
offered HPV vaccine in Year 7 in 2013.
Year 11 and 12
MMR - Students that don’t have evidence
of 2 doses of MMR vaccination will receive
1 dose only at school. If they require the
remaining, second dose, they will receive
a letter advising them to go to their GP.
2015 School Vaccination Program occurs over 3 visits to the school
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3/4
Year 7 only
HPV dose 1
NOTE: if child is away the consent form(s)
is kept for Term 2
Year 7 only
HPV dose 2 , Year 7 (or dose 1 for those
away in Term 1)
Year 7 only
HPV dose 3 (plus catch-up for those away
on previous visit)
Year 7 only
Boostrix (dTpa)
NOTE: if child is away the consent form is
kept for Term 2
Year 7 only
Varicella
NOTE: if child is away the consent form is
kept for Term 3/4
Year 7 only
Boostrix or Varicella catch-up for those
away on previous visits
Boostrix – if missed in Term 1
Year 11 and 12
MMR
Consent forms collected and checked for
evidence of 2 doses
Year 11 and 12
MMR
for those with no evidence of 2 previous
doses of MMR
Year 11 and 12
MMR
for those who missed their MMR dose in
Term 2
Catch up for incomplete HPV schedule (Year 7 2014)
Year 8 students who commenced HPV
vaccination in year 7 in 2014, but have
not completed 3 doses
Year 8 students who commenced HPV
vaccination in year 7 in 2014, but have
not completed 3 doses
For General Practices
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Patients presenting at your practice for school program
vaccines – please confirm with patients that they do NOT
have a consent form at the school. If they are unsure, check
with the parent or the Public Health Unit.
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If the parent advises that their child was away on the school
vaccination day and it is known that there is a consent form
at the school, please advise them that the child will be caught
up at the next school clinic.
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If the child has a consent form at the school, but would now
prefer to have their vaccines at the practice, please advise
the parent to write a letter of vaccine consent withdrawal
and give this to the school OR contact the Public Health Unit
to withdraw the consent form. Alternatively, if the child is at
the practice, the nurse or GP can notify Public Health Unit.
The Public Health Unit will need to know what year and what
school the student is enrolled in and if vaccine withdrawal of
Year 8 students who commenced HPV
vaccination in year 7 in 2014, but have
not completed 3 doses
consent includes all the vaccines on the consent form.
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Where the student has a consent form at school, but refuses
to allow the school nurses to vaccinate, a letter will be sent
home to the parent advising them to take the child to the GP.
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If the student moves school, the parent or the school can
notify the Public Health Unit and the consent card will be
transferred to the new school if feasible. In the event that
the consent card isn’t transferred, all attempts are made to
contact the parent (via mail and mobile).
For enquires about the School Vaccination Program contact Coordinator Bernadette Williams by emailing Bernadette.Williams@
ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au or phoning 6620 7503.
GPFocus
IMMUNE RESPONSE
Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR)
Survey by the Public Health Unit
Every month, the Public Health Unit (PHU) receives files from
ACIR with information about children who are overdue for
vaccination. This information includes details about providers
of vaccination services for each child. Over the past 5 years,
the PHU has been intermittently following up these overdue
children with either the provider or the parent (if no vaccines
have been recorded on ACIR) and established that up to 30% of
these children are up to date with their vaccinations, but that this
data has not been recorded on ACIR. The problem seems to be
exacerbated when new vaccines are added to the schedule.
The PHU are planning to survey practices to find out how they
get information to ACIR, so as to identify common mistakes and
problems. Once these are identified, they will develop a manual
for each practice software to support the reduction of these
issues. Survey forms will be sent out over the next month, and
practice staff are asked to please return them promptly and
thereby support the manual writing project.
MENTAL HEALTH
Supporting people affected by forced adoption
Two years ago on 20 March, the Australian Government made an
apology to people affected by forced adoption or removal policies
and practices.
The impact of these practices continues to be profound: mothers
and fathers have a higher likelihood of mental health issues,
including post traumatic stress disorder. The people who were
adopted are more likely to experience mental health disorders
and poorer wellbeing, and encounter problems with attachment,
identity, abandonment and parenting their own children.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies research highlights
some key principles when working with people affected by forced
adoption practices. These include the importance of:
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validating experiences associated with adoptions, as most
affected people have lived in silence and have not been able
to talk openly and freely about their experiences.
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understanding that the effects of the separation and
adoption experience are real for the people involved and are
often ‘triggered’ by subsequent life events, e.g. birthdays,
births or deaths within a family.
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understanding that there may have been complicity by
doctors and nurses, and this mistrust and suspicion carries
forward into how affected people trust those professions
today.
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affected people receiving appropriate therapeutic
services which may include treatment for the trauma they
experienced.
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referrals to adjunct services providing peer support and
search and connect services when people are seeking their
personal information or wishing to reconnect with their
original families. For details of available support services
email forcedadoptons@dss.gov.au or visit http://ow.ly/
L6CZe.
Resources
Chain of Protection has new resources including new videos. Visit
http://ow.ly/L3PDY to learn more.
Education
The Australian College of Nursing offers an online course to
become a registered nurse immuniser. This course is designed for
registered nurses working in health areas where administration
of immunisation is part of their role and for registered nurses
who wish to enhance their career opportunities. Successful
completion of this course is one of the requirements necessary
for RNs to administer vaccinations without the direction of a
medical officer within New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and
South Australia. Visit http://ow.ly/L3POn to learn more.
The ACN also offers one day immunisation updates and webinars
for RNs. Please refer to page 20 for details of upcoming events.
There is dedicated Australian Government funding to provide
psychological support to people affected by forced adoption.
In the North Coast of NSW this funding is delivered through
Healthy Minds. GPs can make referrals to Healthy Minds using the
downloadable referral form http://ow.ly/L6D6U. Referrals should
be supported by a mental health treatment plan.
For details of how New Access can
support Seniors suffering with
depression and anxiety, refer to
page 13.
9
Healthy Minds sessions are provided by a qualified allied
mental health professional and are free of charge. For further
information about Healthy Minds call 1300 137 237.
Background Artwork by Alison Williams
AMSFocus
PAL UPDATE
IMMUNE RESPONSE
Close the Gap services – Aboriginal Outreach
Workers available to support your patients
Influenza vaccination
The Closing the Gap (CTG) program is aimed
at reducing the gap in life expectancy between
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and
non-indigenous Australians. North Coast Medicare
Local (NCML) employs Aboriginal Health Program
Officers, Care Coordination and Supplementary
Service (CCSS) workers and CTG outreach workers
from Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie.
NCML Aboriginal Outreach Workers are available to
support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients
across the North Coast help manage their health.
Aboriginal Outreach Workers can help your patients
by:
•
•
•
•
•
accompanying patients to health appointments
organising transport to and from health
appointments
assisting patients with form completion
negotiating and brokering access to health and
community services on patients’ behalf
providing other support to make sure patients
get the health care they need
If any of your patients need help — please refer
them to the NCML Aboriginal Outreach Worker in
your local area:
Lismore
Phone (02) 6622 4453
Fax (02) 6622 3185
Tweed Heads
Christopher Keuntje
Phone (07) 5523 5500
Fax (07) 5523 5599
ckeuntje@ncml.org.au
Port Macquarie
Phone(02) 6583 3600
Fax(02) 6583 8600
hm@ncml.org.au
Coffs Harbour
Terri Donovan
Phone(02) 6659 1800
Fax(02) 6659 1899
tdonovan@ncml.org.au
10
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged
six months to less than five years will receive
the seasonal influenza vaccine for free under
the National Immunisation Program from 2015.
Indigenous children are five times more likely than
non-Indigenous children to die from the flu, and
are much more likely to be hospitalised. Those
who survive a severe flu can suffer lasting health
complications including pneumonia, heart, blood
system and liver problems.
Free influenza vaccines are also available to
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged
15 years and over, and people who have chronic
conditions that increase their susceptibility to
influenza.
For more information, visit the Immunise Australia
Program (http://ow.ly/L3NLr) and the Flu Tracking
website (http://ow.ly/L3NOy).
For flu vaccine myth busting facts,
a summary of the 2015 school
vaccination program, details of
Public Health Unit and NCML
immunisation surveys and more,
refer to page 7.
AgedCareFocus
PAL UPDATE
Department of Social Services
•
The Department of Social Services has
been conducting a series of briefings
around the country to explain national
aged care reforms. Here are some of the
key changes:
•
•
•
•
11
all new referrals for federally funded
community and residential aged
care services will be conducted
electronically from July 1 (exceptions
have been made for healthcare
professionals sending inbound
referrals who still prefer to use fax).
all new entrants into the federal
aged care system will be screened
initially by a contact centre run by
Healthdirect. No clinical information
will be captured in this process. The
contact centre will establish a central
client record that can be shared by
the client and their carers or family,
independent assessors and aged care
service providers.
following the initial screening process,
a referral notice will be sent to an
independent Regional Assessment
Service (RAS) or Aged Care
Assessment Team (ACAT) by email.
The email does not contain personal
details, but will alert assessors that
there is a new referral, which can be
accessed through a web portal.
assessors will then conduct a face-toface assessment with the client and
develop a care plan in association
with the client. Depending on the
client’s needs, they can then be
referred electronically to community
or residential service providers, who
will also be able to access the central
client record and the referral through
a provider portal.
in emergency cases, referrals can still
be made directly to service providers,
with information on those clients
then captured retrospectively and
a central client record established.
ACAT is expected to start using
the new system between July and
December this year. RACFs will then
also transition to the new system and
begin receiving electronic referrals.
•
service providers will be able to
access the referrals and the central
client record through the provider
portal using an AUSkey, a security
certificate that can be hosted on
a computer, or on a USB for those
providers accessing multiple systems.
•
if they are unable to immediately
accept a referral, providers will
be able to set up waiting lists for
services. Clients can be added to one
or more provider’s waiting list.
DSS is also currently considering a
fees policy and planning to develop an
interface between hospitals and My Aged
Care to manage hospital discharges.
Emergency Decision Guidelines
Emergency Decision Guidelines (EDG)
provide RACF staff with clinical instructions
for managing acutely unwell residents.
The EDG originated in Tasmania and as
part of an RACF Quality Improvement and
education program delivered through a
partnership between NCML, Nambucca
Valley Care, Mid North Coast Local
Health District and Ambulance NSW,
have been localized to the Mid North
Coast in collaboration with Shin Hwa,
Nurse Practitioner at the Coffs Harbour
Health Campus. The guidelines have been
introduced to RACFs from Macksville
to Woolgoolga and copies have been
provided to GPs and Hospitals from
Macksville to Coffs Harbour.
The clinical areas covered in the guidelines
are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
abdominal problems
airway and breathing
chest pain
choking
circulation and neurovascular
confusion: delirium/infection
dehydration
falls
pain
seizures
stroke
tubes (catheters IDC & SPC/ PEGs)
For more information, please contact Kate
Hillenbrand, Project Officer, by emailing
khillenbrand@ncml.org.au or phoning
6659 1800.
BrainyApp
Looking for a fun yet interactive way
to encourage patients to care for their
brain health? BrainyApp, developed by
Alzheimer’s Australia and Bupa Health
Foundation, raises awareness of the
risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and
other types of dementia. The app rates
and tracks brain health, by asking a small
number of easy to answer questions
about general health, heart health, daily
activities, new experiences, diet, drinking
habits and social time. It then provides
ideas on how to improve your brain
health. Brainy App can be downloaded to
a smartphone or tablet and is currently
available in English and Spanish for both
Apple and Android devices. For further
information visit www.brainyapp.com.au.
AgedCareFocus
IMMUNE RESPONSE
Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination for Aged Care
Facility (ACF) Residents in 2015
NSW Health strongly recommends that all current and
new facility residents receive free seasonal influenza and
pneumococcal vaccine (as appropriate) this winter. All persons
aged 65 years and older are eligible to receive free seasonal
influenza vaccine. Persons aged 65 years and older and persons
with underlying medical conditions are at particular risk of
complications from influenza, including pneumonia.
The National Influenza Vaccination Program will commence later
than usual this year, due to a change in two of the three influenza
strains which has caused manufacturing delays. These delays
will not affect vaccine supply volumes, and no vaccine shortages
are anticipated. Orders for influenza vaccine can now be placed
online at: https://nsw.csldirect.com.au/. Delivery of Fluvax
commenced to ACFs in March.
The following staff only are authorised under Section 10(4)(d) of
the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 to order influenza
vaccine annually (prior to and during each influenza season) and
pneumococcal vaccine (throughout the year) free of charge for
eligible residents:
•
•
•
•
•
•
the Manager
Care Manager
Director of Nursing
Nursing Unit Manager
Operations Manager
or any person assigned with the role of managing a
Residential Facility
The Australian Immunisation Handbook, 10th edition, p 255,
also recommends annual influenza vaccination for staff of ACFs.
Consideration should be given to purchasing influenza vaccine
from the private market or encouraging staff members to attend
their own general practitioner for vaccination. Influenza and
pneumococcal vaccines provided free for residents under the
Australian Government funded program must not be used to
vaccinate staff members.
Outbreaks of influenza in aged care facilities can spread quickly,
cause serious disease, and be difficult to control. In 2014
approximately 120 ACFs reported influenza outbreaks resulting
in 1893 cases, 216 hospitalisations and 98 deaths. Vaccination
may not prevent influenza in the elderly, however vaccinated
residents are less likely to require hospitalisation or die if they
catch influenza. The Public Health Unit can advise on treatment
and prevention measures.
For more information, visit the Immunise Australia Program
(http://ow.ly/L3NLr) and the Flu Tracking website (http://ow.ly/
L3NOy).
12
For flu vaccine myth busting facts,
a summary of the 2015 school
vaccination program, details of
Public Health Unit and NCML
immunisation surveys and more,
refer to page 7.
AgedCareFocus
MENTAL HEALTH
NewAccess - Supporting Seniors
Anxiety and depression affects people of all ages, including seniors. There are many phases in a senior’s life that
result in big changes and transitions. This could include downsizing the family home, moving to residential aged care
facilities, planning for retirement, or feeling ready to retire but not being financially ready. These challenges can lead
to symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. Some early symptoms include poor sleep, not feeling like going out any
more, inability to concentrate, and feelings of guilt, frustration or worry.
Unfortunately, many people in the over-65, ‘keep calm, carry on’ generation still seem to feel there is a stigma
attached to depression and anxiety, viewing them as a weakness of character rather than a health problem.
Addressing symptoms early is really important.
In the North Coast of New South Wales a new program called NewAccess is being piloted to address these early
symptoms of depression and anxiety.
What is NewAccess?
NewAccess is a low intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) program for people experiencing mild to
moderate depression and/or anxiety. NewAccess provides six FREE sessions of low intensity CBT with a trained
Access Coach focusing on strategies for managing depression, anxiety, low mood and life stress.
How does NewAccess work?
On referral, clients are offered an assessment session either in person or by phone. If a client is suitable for the
program, a plan is developed in consultation with the client, for a guided series of Low Intensity CBT sessions. The
client is also supplied with materials about the program and information about depression/anxiety as part of the
psychological education component of the program.
What is the referral process to NewAccess?
Clients can self-refer by phone on 1300 137 934 or online at http://ow.ly/L6Lpq. Clients can also be referred by
their medical practitioner, mental health worker or other community agency.
What are the criteria for clients?
NewAccess is an early intervention program for people over eighteen who are experiencing emotional stress and
who are not currently accessing other mental health services.
How is the program funded?
NewAccess is a beyondblue program, funded by The Movember Foundation and beyondblue.
For more information about NewAccess or to have a presentation or material delivered to you, contact NewAccess
Program Manager, Jennifer Melsness on 0427 026 276 or contact the NewAccess Intake Line 1300 137 934 or visit
http://ow.ly/L6Lpq.
13
PharmacyFocus
PAL UPDATE
Training
Aspen Australia Innovation Awards
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has released the following new
online training courses for pharmacists:
Aspen Australia and PSA are offering six Innovation Awards,
valued at $2,000 each, to community pharmacists implementing
practice change. They believe that community pharmacy in
Australia is changing continually and that to remain competitive
and viable, many community pharmacies need to transform
themselves.
•
Pharmacist Only Health Solutions – Analgesics, incorporating
expert product knowledge from training development
partner AFT Pharmaceuticals
•
Delivery of an effective travel health service in pharmacy, in
partnership with Immuron Ltd
This training is free to all pharmacists via myCPD:
www.mycpd.org.au
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Awards for Excellence
Nominations are now open
•
•
•
Pharmacist of the Year
Young Pharmacist of the Year
Lifetime Achievement award
Nominations close on Friday 26 June 2015, and the winners will
be announced at the PSA15 conference in Sydney on July 31,
2015. Forms are available at http://www.psa.org.au/about/
excellence-awards.
14
The awards are for those implementing practice change to:
•
increase pharmacist – customer engagement
•
target customers with health promotions and professional
services
•
increase collaboration with other health professionals
•
increase health related (S2 and S3) medicine sales
•
maintain and grow dispensary profitability through
sustainable business practices
Visit http://www.psa.org.au/news/innovation for more
information.
PharmacyFocus
PAL UPDATE
Vitamin D deficiency link to diabetes
eHealth
Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be associated with
diabetes independent of the level of obesity, according to new
research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology &
Metabolism. Complementary Medicines Australia CEO, Carl
Gibson, said the study added to the database of research on the
impacts of vitamin D deficiency. Visit http://ow.ly/L6NKP to view
the abstract.
NSW Health is currently rolling out HealtheNet in the NNSW and
MNC LHDs. HealtheNet is an eHealth solution offering a Clinical
Portal, access to the PCeHR and secure electronic messaging of
discharge summaries. Cerner was recently granted the tender
to supply its electronic medication management system to
the majority of NSW hospitals. This will support the process of
bringing patient records, management and medication delivery
online undertaken by HealtheNet, and significantly reduce the
risk of medication errors.
NCML is holding a series of Diabetes workshops for health
professionals in Tweed Heads, Ballina, Grafton and Kempsey
over the coming months. For further details please refer to
the Healthy North Coast Events Calendar on page 21 of this
newsletter or online at http://ow.ly/L6NET.
For an update on PCeHR usability
improvements, refer to page 3.
For information on NCML’s Close
the Gap services, refer to page 10.
15
Pharmacists and pharmacy staff in the Tweed Valley region are
invited to a learn more about HealtheNet from Belinda Collins,
HealtheNet Change and Adoption Manager, over dinner on
Wednesday 29 April at South Tweed Sports. For further details
please refer to the Healthy North Coast Events Calendar on page
21 of this newsletter or online at http://ow.ly/L6NET.
For details of how New Access can
support Seniors suffering with
depression and anxiety, refer to
page 13.
AlliedHealthFocus
PAL UPDATE
Mid North Coast Musculoskeletal Primary Health Care
Initiative
Musculoskeletal conditions are conditions of the bones, joints
and their attachments (e.g. muscles, tendons and ligaments),
and are the most common chronic diseases in Australia affecting
6.1 million people, or 28% of the population. Musculoskeletal
conditions contribute significantly to Australia’s burden of disease
with direct health care costs of $5.7 billion.
Contributing disproportionately to this burden of disease are
three conditions:
•
•
•
16
osteoarthritis
osteoporotic re-fracture
acute back pain
The Mid North Coast is one of only three trial sites in NSW
selected to implement the Musculoskeletal Initiative for Primary
Health Care pilot, led by the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation.
Following on from successful trials in hospital settings, NCML and
the Mid North Coast Local Health District are working together
to trial three models of care in the primary care environment to
improve patient outcomes and professional satisfaction in the
treatment of these conditions. Primary sector service providers
are invited to get involved in the project, which aims to embed
evidence based care into general practice with a focus on
improving the coordination of general practice with allied health
services to support patient management.
A second musculoskeletal symposium will be held in Coffs
Harbour on Thursday 07 May, and will focus on the model of
care for the management of acute low back pain, as well as the
specifics of how the osteoarthritis and osteoporosis re-fracture
prevention models will be rolled out in primary care.
For further information, contact Project Officers:
Coffs Harbour
Fiona O’Meara
fomeara@ncml.org.au
0409 613 976
Port Macquarie
Martin Cushing
mcushing@ncml.org.au
0418 316 648
AlliedHealthFocus
PAL UPDATE
Why clients don’t do as they’re told
People generally have a better memory for pictures than
for words. It’s a sad fact that clients retain only 10% of the
information imparted to them verbally and 20% of the
information in handouts they receive. When they are shown
images and made to do something physically, that retention rate
reaches a staggering 80%.
Amanda Clark, dietitian at Great Ideas in Nutrition, has created
Portion Perfection by smoothly incorporating both ‘seeing’
and ‘doing’ into all of the portion control education tools.
Clients are shown how much to eat pictorially, and then have
the opportunity to use the portion plates and bowls they see
in the pictures so they can follow on to actually do what they
saw, and concrete the learning. Even the recipe book shows
portion accurate photos for everyone in the family. The plate also
works as a visual cue to remind them of the message when the
consultation is long over.
You can start the conversation with patients by identifying the
health risks associated with their weight and asking them if they’d
like you to get them started on a simple strategy that can help
them feel satisfied on less food.
17
If they indicate an openness to your interest then hand them an
education page which gives them the first step in modifying how
they make up their own dinner plate that night and guides them
to further information and tools to take the process further.
This strategy can be shared by all members of the health team so
we are all reiterating the same simple strategy and starting point.
Visit http://ow.ly/LhcMf to download a copy of the education
pages or request more information or assistance from info@
greatideas.net.au.
The full Portion Perfection kit includes the portion plate, a portion
bowl, a full pictorial eating plan with clear and simple portion
guides for all family members, and a 4 week menu plan with
recipes that guide the correct portion sizing.
Visit www.greatideas.net.au to learn more.
HNCNews
Networking Platform for
Health Professionals
H
ealthy North Coast’s new
online network allows you to
communicate, network and collaborate
in a private and professional
environment, with colleagues from
across the North Coast without leaving
your office.
The Healthy North Coast Network is
based on the functionality of other
familiar social networking platforms like
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
With over 130 regional and professionbased networks available, the Healthy
North Coast Network is ready for you to
join right now.
Health professionals can register for
the Healthy North Coast Network by
visiting http://bit.ly/VsrO2s. Full
instructions for the platform are
available at http://bit.ly/1sJgRI7.
18
Would you like your organisation to be
accredited with a Rainbow Tick?
The Rainbow Tick is a valued tool that provides the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender and Intersex communities) with confidence that the services you
offer are user friendly for them. Having a rainbow tick also demonstrates that the
organisation is committed to safe and inclusive service delivery for this community.
Rainbow tick accreditation is a unique product that boosts an organisation’s
community profile and effectively conveys its commitment to inclusion.
QIP (Quality Innovation Performance) is the national organisation that can
support your service to acquire the 6 standards required by Rainbow Tick. For
more information go to www.glhv.org.au/glbti-inclusive-practice. To contact
Quality Innovation Performance go to: www.qip.com.au/standards/ or phone
1300888329.
HNCNews
Coffs Harbour Health Campus leading the way for care of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander patients
In 2012-13, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were three times more likely to have a heart attack and nearly twice
as likely to die from heart disease compared with non-Indigenous Australians.
Coffs Harbour Health Campus is one of eight hospitals from across Australia selected to participate in an innovative national
project to improve the service and care Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients receive when presenting to hospital with
heart attack symptoms.
The Heart Foundation and Australian Healthcare and Hospital Association have partnered to deliver the Lighthouse Hospital
Project, which aims to provide health practitioners with the practical tools to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples receive clinically-appropriate treatment, delivered in a culturally-safe manner.
Read the full story at: http://healthynorthcoast.org.au/top-stories-273/
Protect against mosquitoes after
jump in Ross River detection
NSW Health to Provide Free
Whooping Cough Vaccinations for
Pregnant Women
NSW Health is urging people to take extra precautions to
protect themselves against mosquitoes following a seven fold
increase in detections of the mosquito-borne Ross River virus
across the State compared with this time last year.
NSW Health will now provide free vaccinations against pertussis
(whooping cough) to pregnant women during their third
trimester, after evidence showed it lessened the risk of infants
catching the potentially fatal infection.
Director of the North Coast Public Health Unit, Paul Corben
said it’s the second time this year that NSW Health has issued a
warning about mosquito-borne illnesses.
The Mid North Coast Local Health District’s Director of Public
Health, Paul Corben, said NSW Health would fund the new
initiative during the current outbreak of whooping cough. The
change in advice is in line with a new recommendation released
by The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
“Autumn is the peak time of the year for these insects to carry
such infections so it is also when there is the highest number of
mosquito-borne viral infections,” Mr Corben said.
“So far this year, NSW Health has seen an increase in reporting
of people infected by mosquito-borne viruses.
“There have been 539 notifications of Ross River virus infections
across the State compared with just 79 for the same period in
2014.
“While all parts of the State have reported cases, residents of
the North Coast of NSW have been particularly affected, with
319 notifications of Ross River virus received so far this year
compared to 19 for the same period last year.”
Read the full story at:
http://healthynorthcoast.org.au/top-stories-277/
“We urge pregnant women to ensure they are vaccinated in
their third trimester, ideally at 28 to 32 weeks, as it offers the
best protection for babies until their first vaccination at six to
eight weeks of age,” Mr Corben said.
The NHMRC, which is responsible for endorsing the Australian
Immunisation Handbook, updated its advice after a review of
available evidence showed that immunising pregnant mothers
in the third trimester significantly reduces the incidence of
whooping cough in newborn babies, and therefore lessens the
risk of infant death.
The updated advice is a result of work undertaken by the
National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance
(NCIRS) for the Australian Technical Advisory Group for
Immunisation (ATAGI).
Read the full story at:
http://healthynorthcoast.org.au/top-stories-283/
19
HNCEvents
Hastings-Macleay
Tweed
15 April - Diabetes Education for Health Professionals,
Kempsey
16 April - Healthy Living w Diabetes – Managing Diabetes
in your Health Care Environment (for GPs, Pharmacists,
RACF Nurses & Allied Health professionals), Tweed Heads
22 April - Palliative Care Breakfast Meeting, Port Macquarie
22 April - Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Workshop,
South West Rocks
23 May - Antenatal Shared Care Workshop for General
Practitioners, Port Macquarie
Mid North Coast
22 April - Recipe for Success Autism Workshop, Coffs
Harbour
22 April - The Three Silences of Women, Grafton
27 April - General Practitioner Dinner, Grafton
28 April - Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Coffs Harbour
1 May - CAPD Information lunch, Coffs Harbour
11 May - The Three Silences of Women, Nambucca Valley
12 May - Dementia Carer’s Workshop, Grafton
20 May - The Three Silences of Women, Coffs Harbour
27 May - Wound Care Clinical Update for health
professionals, Grafton
20
April - June 2015
You can view the full North Coast Practitioner events calander at:
www.healthynorthcoast.org.au/practitioner-events
17 April - GP Breakfast Meeting, Murwillumbah
12 May - Changed Behaviours and Transition to Care,
Pottsville
14-16 May - Brave to Bold - APNA National Conference
2015, Gold Coast
18 May - End Stage Palliation and Dementia, Tweed Heads
25 May - Wound Care Clinical Update – Multidisciplinary,
Tweed Heads
27 May - Quality Improvement Meeting for Pharmacists,
Tweed Heads
10 June - Tweed Valley Clinical Society Meeting
HNCEvents
Northern Rivers
Other Events
14 April - Aboriginal Cultural Safety, Lismore
13-16 April - Resolving Vilification Workshop, Sydney
20 April - The Emotionally Intelligent Leader, Lismore
17 April - Introduction to HIV Care For General
Practitioners, Parramatta
23 April - Mindful Self-Compassion: Core Skills for Living Well,
Goonellabah
23 April - Ballina Byron Clincial Society dinner
23 April - Richmond Valley Clinical Society, Lismore
28 April - The many faces of community engagement,
Goonellabah
30 April - Person Centred Performance Management, Ballina
30 April - Healthy Living with Diabetes – for Health
Professionals, Ballina
7 May - How to Write Great Content With Know-How & Kapow,
Lismore
11 May - Dementia Carer Education Course, Maclean
11 May - Culture and Compassion: CPD for nurses, midwives
and educators, Lismore
12 May - LGBTI Aged Care Training, Casino
12 May - Vicarious Trauma, Ballina
14 May - Managing Staff Conflict, Alstonville
14 May - What difference does it make? Impact assessment in
practice, Goonellabah
20 May - General Practitioner Breakfast, Lennox Head
21 May - Hoarding and Squalor Information Session, Lismore
26 May - Wound Care Clinical Update for health professionals,
Lismore
26-27 May - Youth Mental Health First Aid, Ballina
27 May - LGBTI Aged Care Training, Byron Bay
28 May - Aged Care Simulation Workshop, Lismore
28 May - Navigating social enterprise, Goonellabah
28 May - Richmond Valley Clinical Society, Lismore
21
March - May 2015
You can view the full North Coast Practitioner events calander at:
www.healthynorthcoast.org.au/practitioner-events
18 April - HIV s100 Prescriber Course, Parramatta
20 April - Webinar: Understanding Complex Regional Pain
Syndrome
23-25 April - Australian Telehealth Conference, Sydney
23 April - Understanding Dementia, Tamworth
4 May - Aspect Australia – Creating Positive Outcomes in
Complex Scenarios Workshop, Sydney
4-5 May - 2015 Australasian Connecting Asthma Care
Conference, Brisbane
9 May - From Collection to Court for Health Professionals,
Melbourne
14 May - Brave to Bold APNA National Conference 2015,
Gold Coast
15-16 May - Australian Diabetes Educators Association
(ADEA) NSW Branch Conference, Newcastle
18 May - Mental Health Disorders (online training for
rural practitioners)
20 May - Webinar: Diagnosis and Management of
Fibromyalgia
21 May - Nurse Education Day, Ashfield
21 May - Immunisation Update for Nurses, Brisbane
24-27 May - National Rural Health Conference, Darwin
27 May - Adverse events following immunisation – ACN
webinar for nurses
29 May - Immunisation Update for Nurses, Sydney
30 May - Infant GORD and its Complications, Webinar
10-11 June - Aboriginal Cultural Awareness, Sydney
HNCclassifieds
CONSULTING ROOM FOR RENT COFFS HARBOUR
Medical consulting rooms available for rent, from the
middle/end of May. Would suit:
•
•
•
•
•
medical doctors
sessional specialists visiting from Brisbane or
Sydney
specialists
allied health providers
psychologists
There is parking on site and on street for patients
and free parking nearby for staff. The practice
currently accommodates a few specialists in their
field. The practice is wheelchair friendly, light and
airy and has a staff kitchen/canteen area. Situated
with a 5-minute walk to the CBD, these premises are
ideally located for conducting daily banking, postal
services, etc.
Please contact Michelle on 044 885 1885 for further
details and expressions of interest.
POSITION VACANT - FT or PT GENERAL
PRACTITIONER, WAUCHOPE
A fantastic opportunity exists for a GP to join
our vibrant family focused practice in Wauchope
NSW. Wauchope is only 15 minutes west of Port
Macquarie, 4 hours north of Sydney and 5 Hours
south of Brisbane.
We are a well-established, bulk billing, busy
practice, privately owned and AGPAL accredited.
You will be part of a team of enthusiastic and
competent health professionals with full time
registered nurse support, flexible hours and a good
work life balance.
DOCTOR NEEDED FOR
LISMORE SOUP KITCHEN
North Coast Medicare Local (NCML) is calling for
expressions of interest from GPs located in Lismore
to provide medical services at the Winsome Health
Outreach Clinic. Since April 2013, NCML has been
providing an outreach health service on-site at
The Winsome, a large facility owned and run by
the Lismore Soup Kitchen Inc. The Winsome,
predominately self-funded and reliant on a volunteer
workforce, provides valuable support for some of
the community’s most vulnerable people. It provides
accommodation for men and daily meals for those
in need.
Every Wednesday morning, an Outreach Health
clinic is held on-site, providing free GP and clinical
nursing services to clientele of The Winsome. The
Clinic is well-established and more than 200 patients
have accessed care there over the past two years.
NCML is keen to find a local GP who could commit to
work at the clinic for a few hours each Wednesday
morning.
In order to consolidate the service it’s important to
find a dedicated doctor. NCML also wants this doctor
to welcome The Winsome clinic patients to his or
her general practice for follow-up consultations.
In the next few months, NCML and Vinnie’s are
working together to construct a purpose-built clinic
on the ground floor of The Winsome, comprising a
doctor’s room, nurse’s room and reception/waiting
area.
If a Lismore GP is interested in working at The
Winsome Outreach Clinic, please contact Monika
Wheeler by phoning 6622 4453 or emailing
mwheeler@ncml.org.au.
We offer full time or part time, immediate start and
flexible hours.
For more information or a confidential enquiry
please contact admin@campbellstreetsurgery.
com.au or phone 02 6585 1388.
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Would you like to post a local classified ad in this newsletter?
Email the details to healthynorthcoast@gmail.com before the
25th of each month. There is no cost associated with these ads.
HNCclassifieds
GP VACANCY HASTINGS MEDICAL CENTRE
Part time with a view to full time. This is an exciting
and busy practice, in a lovely rural setting, with a
multi-skilled team.
Are you planning for retirement in the next 6
months, 2, 5 or 10 years? Or are you looking for a
work-life balance to spend more time with family?
Contact Practice Principle Dr Philp Ewart by emailing
philip.ewart@hastingsmedical.com or phoning
0412971631.
Our service is personal and in complete confidence.
Let us assist you in taking the first step.
VR FEMALE GP REQUIRED BANORA POINT
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Accredited practice
Established patient base
No shiftwork
Flexible hours
Mixed billing
Other sites available
Fully computerised and accredited practice with 4
consulting rooms, treatment room and adjacent to
the local pharmacy.
Situated in high population growth area with a
rapidly growing patient data base.
Centrally located with easy access to Brisbane, Gold
Coast or Northern Rivers areas.
Excellent high end remuneration and conditions.
Join a professional, proactive, supportive and highly
skilled team by calling Kym Ottery on 07 5523 2500
or kym.ottery@blooms.net.au.
GP VACANCY - COFFS HARBOUR
Do you want to make a real difference? Are
you interested in whole patient care? Consider
joining our busy team of medical doctors who are
passionate about the health and wellbeing of our
patients with an emphasis on prevention and chronic
disease management. We offer full nursing support
in a large, modern AGPAL accredited group general
practice, located 100 metres from the Jetty Beach in
beautiful Coffs Harbour.
If you are looking for a sea change with full time or
part time work option, please contact our practice
manager, Di Ryan on 02 6652 5322.
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PRACTICE SUCCESSION
& TRANSITION PLANNING
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practice health check
website creation
options for succession
practice refresh / upgrade
preparing for sale
introducing potential successors
valuation services
We have VR GPs and their families looking for
opportunities on the North Coast.
Contact us today!
Jodie Fairweather
FM Practice Solutions
Healthcare Practice Solutions Provider
jodie@fmpracticesolutions.com.au
0412 076 847
www.fmpracticesolutions.com.au
PGY5 EMERGENCY MEDICINE TRAINEE
PGY5 Emergency Medicine Trainee seeking 5
month GP rotation to improve understanding of
availability of services to GPs in the community
and management of GP presentations. Practice
must be registered to train GP registrars, RRMA 4-7
and District for Workforce Shortage to allow full
medicare benefits.
Dates - September 2015 - January 2016
Location - Commutable from Tweed Heads
UK IMG with General Registration and Australian
Citizenship.
Please contact Dr Laura Baxter on 0410336474 or
email lbaxter@doctors.org.uk if you have a suitable
vacancy.
HNCclassifieds
FRACGP (VR) GP - KINGSCLIFF
Looking for a new role or sea change?
Join a team that is building a medical practice for the
future. Kingscliff Family Medical Services is located
only 20 mins from Coolangatta Airport & the heart of
the Gold Coast. Kingscliff is a growing coastal town.
The location offers a wonderful lifestyle & quality
educational facilities for families.
The requirement is for a full-time VR General
Practitioner (GP) to join the Private Family Medical
Practice.
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specialist in family medicine
6 consult rooms, 2 treatment rooms
allied services + women’s health nurse
cosmetic and chronic illness centre
servicing the local & surrounding areas in Tweed
Shire
private and mixed billing
pathology on site
the location offers a wonderful lifestyle and quality
educational facilities for children
You will have the following:
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MBBS or equivalent
minimum of 5 years experience in general
practice, 2 year Australian GP
vocational registration, FRACGP or FACRRM
must participate in continuing professional
development (CPD)
must have access to Medicare benefits in the RA1
provide evidence of medical indemnity insurance
To discuss this great opportunity in confidence, please
email your current CV to brian@1800myclinic.com.au.
PRACTICE MANAGER - KINGSCLIFF
Opportunity to join Kingscliff Family Medical
Services, located on the North Coast of NSW.
Kingscliff Family Medical Services is located only 20
mins from Coolangatta Airport & heart of Gold Coast.
Kingscliff is a growing coastal town. The location
offers a wonderful lifestyle & quality educational
facilities for families.
Reporting to the practice principal, you will
co-ordinate and maintain all the functional
requirements of the medical centre including
financial, clinical, patient services, marketing,
personnel administration and computer systems.
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full time/part time role available
management & leadership skills
work effectively as part of a team
the ability to work unsupervised
previous medical centre & allied serivces
experience essential
To discuss this great opportunity in
confidence, please email your current CV to
brian@1800myclinic.com.au.
GP VACANCY - MURWILLUMBAH
Semi-rural GP Practice in Murwillumbah, Northern
NSW. 20 minutes to Gold Coast Airport and beaches,
with the peace of country living.
Full-time VR GP for non-corporate practice. Fully
accredited, 8 doctors. Friendly doctors and staff.
Full time practice nursing. Potential for hospital
appointment.
Enquiries and CV to Practice Manager:
recruitment@mainstmed.com.au
COSMETIC DOCTOR WANTED BYRON BAY / KINGSCLIFF
Cosmetic Laser Clinic in Byron/Kingscliff seeking a
doctor with knowledge of fillers/injectables to work
five days a week building the business alongside other
technician/practitioner. Work would also include
vascular and pigmented lesions, veins etc.
Phone Jacqui on 0403 353 036.
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HNCclassifieds
GP VACANCY TWEED BANORA MEDICAL CENTRE
Tweed Banora Medical Centre in Tweed Heads South is
a fully computerised, modern, state of the art medical
centre and provides the following services and support
structure: full time nursing support, treatment and
procedure rooms, ECG testing, pathology, radiology
and pharmacy on site.
The General Practitioner will provide general practice
services in an extended hours, comprehensive
mixed billing centre. The doctor will maintain clinical
independence and enjoys stimulation from a varied
patient mix. The practice provides a steady flow of
patients.
The full-time/part-time position is to be filled as soon
as possible. The remuneration is very attractive and
negotiable. All applications will be dealt with in strict
confidence. Apply today!
Contact:
Annette Altmiks
GP Liaison for Primary Health Care
Tweed Banora Medical Centre, Tweed Heads South
0424 011 271
annettealt88@gmail.com
GP VACANCY - PORT MACQUARIE
Port Macquarie Medical & Dental Centre in Port
Macquarie is a fully computerised, modern, state of
the art medical centre and provides the following
services and support structure: full time nursing
support, treatment and procedure rooms, ECG
testing, pathology, radiology and pharmacy on site.
The General Practitioner will provide general
practice services in an extended hours,
comprehensive mixed billing centre. The doctor
will maintain clinical independence and enjoys
stimulation from a varied patient mix. The practice
provides a steady flow of patients.
The full-time/part-time position is to be filled
as soon as possible. The remuneration is very
attractive and negotiable. All applications will be
dealt with in strict confidence. Apply today!
Contact:
Annette Altmiks
GP Liaison for Primary Health Care
Port Macquarie Medical & Dental Centre
0424 011 271
annettealt88@gmail.com
NEW OBSTETRICIAN & GYNAECOLOGIST COFFS HARBOUR
Dr Triveni Nanda is welcoming referrals at her new
Women’s Specialist Centre in Albany House, 60-62
Albany Street Coffs Harbour.
As a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist she is
accepting patients for a range of services including
high-risk obstetrics, urogynaecology, infertility,
laparoscopy, colposcopy and related surgeries.
The clinic is open five days a week for consultation.
Dr Nanda will continue to work as a VMO at Coffs
Harbour Base Hospital and as a visiting specialist at
Baringa Private Hospital.
Referrals to Dr Nanda can be made by phone on 02
6651 3848, by fax 02 8208 3268 or by email:
info@cwsc.com.au
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HNCclassifieds
GPs WANTED FOR SHORT-TERM
IMMUNISATION CLINICS
HealthOne is a leading Australian healthcare activation company
with extensive go-to-market knowledge in all aspects of
stakeholder communications and sales. Our disciplined approach
and commitment to quality, excellence and innovation delivers
outstanding results.
We have been active in the Australian healthcare marketplace for
over 10 years, with a multi-dimensional approach encompassing
brand strategy, marketing services, sales representation,
merchandising, telesales, e-contact, strategic consulting and staff
education.
As the leader in Healthcare activations, we are looking for GPs to
join our pharmacy-based influenza immunisation team between
March and May 2015.
Your role will involve administering influenza vaccination to adults
who have booked an appointment within the pharmacy.
Complete flexibility available:
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pick your own sessions from the schedule available
casual opportunity (clinics are conducted from mid-March to
the end of May)
$100-140 per hour (depending on location) with flexible 4
hour clinic sessions (or up to 8 hours if you prefer)
clinics being held across Australia – both metro and regional
opportunities
About you:
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committed and professional approach
efficient conduct
MBBS or equivalent
full registration with APHRA
Medicare Provider Number
current indemnity insurance certificate
IMPORTANT NEXT STEPS:
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Send an email to annette.dixon@healthone.com.au
including all of the following information: your APHRA
Registration number, a copy of your current indemnity
Insurance Certificate, Medicare Provider Number and a short
bio with contact details.
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You will then be contacted by HealthOne to discuss your
preferred location (you may include the suburb/s or city in
your email) and schedule.
Contact NCML
Head Office
Suite 6, 85 Tamar Street
Ballina NSW 2478
Phone: 02 6618 5400
Fax: 02 6618 5499
Email: enquiries@ncml.org.au
Northern Rivers
Tarmons House
St Vincent’s Campus
20 Dalley Street
East Lismore NSW 2480
Phone: 02 6622 4453
Fax: 02 6622 3185
Email: nr@ncml.org.au
Tweed Heads
8 Corporation Circuit
Tweed Heads South NSW 2486
Phone: 07 5523 5501
Email: tv@ncml.org.au
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Hastings Macleay
53 Lord Street
Port Macquarie NSW 2444
Phone: 02 6583 3600
Fax: 02 6583 8600
Email: hm@ncml.org.au
Mid North Coast
Suite 6, 1 Duke Street
Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450
Phone: 02 6659 1800
Fax: 02 6659 1899
Email: mnc@ncml.org.au