GP North

Panvax Junior - Update

The Commonwealth ATAGI Vaccine Safety Committee have updated their advice on use of H1N1 Panvax and seasonal influenza vaccines in children. ATAGI Updated Advice - Junior Panvax.

Full information is available either of the following websites:

• www.healthemergency.gov.au
• www.immunise.health.gov.au 

TASeHealth Messaging (SECCI)

A bit of background information and what is happening in this space?

How do you manage clinical reports back from specialists and allied health providers you have referred patients to? Currently you are most likely to receive this information via regular mail and fax. So, do you keep copies in paper patient files, or have a staff member stack, then scan this information so it can be stored against patient files in your patient database such as Medical Director or Best Practice?

As we know, the so called ‘paperless practice’ is difficult to achieve and it would seem paper is going to be around for some of the things we do for some time yet. Having said this, General Practice certainly gets more than it’s fair share of information that needs to be sorted and attached to the right patient file. Yes it can be filed in paper patient files and yes it can be scanned as a ‘PDF’ or picture file and stored in your patient database.

But, both these solutions can take a significant amount of staff time, and can be a source of a lot of time delays – especially in bigger practices. Another issue that is not quite so obvious is scanning of paper documents and then storing them in clinical software is not necessarily the most efficient way of maintaining records. It takes staff time as mentioned above, but also scans of paper files take up a relatively large amount of storage space in your database.

Much of the clinical information about patients can now be received from specialists, allied health providers and diagnostic services electronically. Secure messaging in a service that allows you and other medical professionals to transfer patient information safely over the Internet. With the use of encryption to send then de-encryption to receive clinical information, your patient information is safe whilst in transit.

Once received, it loads into your clinical software ready for you to view and action if necessary. If you currently use email this way of receiving clinical information will be familiar to you. With ReferralNet – you know who it is from, what it is about and because the format of the message it will automatically match up to the right patient record n your clinical database software.

Secure Messaging has been in Tassie for a couple of years. It is fair to say that in the early days there were a few ‘teething problems’. These have now been ironed out and we now have a safe, secure, reliable and fast system you can tap into. With some exceptions, it is able to seamlessly integrate with most clinical software you are using.

With every increasing numbers of GPs on the system and now specialists also keen to send clinical information to you about your patients in this format, the Division can help.

If you would like more information about ReferralNet, whether it suits your practice, how to get it installed and get staff up and running please contact the Division on 03 6331 9296 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Important Information for GPs and Practice Managers

Practices interested in submitting for infrastructure upgrades to their practices are strongly advised to inform themselves of the following information (released by Nicola Roxon today).

The Australian Government is taking action through its National Health and Hospitals Network to expand and enhance medical facilities in communities across Australia.  

Primary Care Infrastructure Grants will enable existing general practices to expand or upgrade space for GPs, nurses or allied health professionals to improve care for patients in the community and to support training the next generation of health workers. 

From today, grants up to $500,000 are available to expand a medical practice to provide training and extra services to the community.  

Three levels of funding ranging up to $500,000 are available for capital works projects that support:·

• Expanding or upgrading a practice to increase the number of doctors, nurses or allied health staff;
• Expanding services to the communities, including after hours services; and
• Training of new doctors and other health professionals together in a GP Super Clinic-style facility.  

Applications for funding are open to any eligible organisation or individual operating an existing general practice, primary care or community health service, or Aboriginal Medical Service.  

Further details on the Australian Government’s Primary Care Infrastructure Grants is available by visiting http://www.health.gov.au/tendersor www.health.gov.au/gpsuperclinics 

Implications for General Practice

By now many of our members will have been made aware of various elements of last nights budget – including the substantial new investment in primary care required to balance the strong recent focus on hospital networks and inpatient care.

As a summary for those who want a dot point version applicable to Tasmania:

• Divisions required to ‘transform’ into Primary Health Care Organisations (PHCO’s) by June 2012 – these to work alongside Local Hospital Networks. Responsibility for  focusing on service gaps, supporting GPs and other primary health care providers,  enhancing access for hard to reach groups and populations, and developing solutions to locally evident health problems and needs.  General Practice to remain centre and forefront of these organisations.
• Practice nurse MBS items to be axed from June 2012 and replaced with PIP based payment of $25,000 per FTE GP to employ registered nurses.  This to be loaded for rurality and remoteness. Smaller amounts for enrolled nurses.
• Increased resourcing and localized development and implementation of more robust after hours care services.  Reduction over time in the PIP based AHC subsidy.
• Diabetes packaged care (additional to FFS episodic care) including allied health payments available to practices for registered Type 2 DM patients in practices willing to participate.
• Comprehensive investment in the development of the framework and infrastructure for patient controlled electronic health records – to commence in July 2012 on a patient determined opt in basis.
• Limited new investment in mental health through provision of additional ATAPS funds targeted at higher level needs patients than those currently eligible for ATAPS services.
• Apparent removal of mental health Occupational Therapists and Social Workers from the list of providers eligible to claim for rebates under the MBS Better Access program. Community based providers under these programs will be required to privately bill patients.
• 23 new super clinics – not known where these will be situated around the country.
• Urban practices eligible for competitive infrastructure grants to varying levels in order to augment service and operational capacity.

These measures are additional to other measures already announced in recent months. 

For more detailed information AGPN Federal Budget 2010 Analysis