In Practice

The Healing Foundation launched a suite of resources on 5 December 2019, aimed at improving the health services delivered to Stolen Generations survivors. Launched by the Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt, the resources include a factsheet for GPs which provides historical context and suggestions to ensure GPs are able to provide effective services to this specific patient population. Visit the Healing Foundation website to download the factsheet Working with the Stolen Generations: understanding trauma .

The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement (ACGB) provides free online resources for GPs to download and provide to their bereaved patients. The AC GB is a not-for-profit specialist bereavement service and has been providing support for bereaved and grieving Australians for over 22 years. It is the largest provider of grief and bereavement education and resources in Australia. This service provides a range of education programs relating to grief and loss, including a broad range of webinar topics. This also includes the recently launched ...

Registrations for the 2020 Practice Owners National Conference are now open. In a keynote not to be missed, Dr Sam Prince – a leading Australian entrepreneur, medical practitioner and founder of Next Practice – will walk you through his journey of creating a model of GP-owned clinics that reduce administrative burdens and streamline patient interaction in his keynote speech, ‘The evolution of a consumer-driven primary care clinic’. Key highlights of Sam’s presentation will include: insights into shifts in patient preferences and demands an ove...

RACGP new Fellows are invited to apply for the position of Recent Fellow on the Advisory Council of Assessment (ACoA). The position offers new Fellows the chance to explore a new and different aspect of college life. The successful applicant will be someone who holds a keen interest in the education, training and assessment of GPs and feels strongly about speaking on behalf of doctors on a pathway to Fellowship. Visit shareGP to view the position advertisement, ACoA terms of reference, and details of how to apply (deadline 17 January 2020).

Given the significant advancements in technology and enhancements to the sophistication and reliability of devices, point-of-care testing is becoming more accessible for health services outside of traditional pathology laboratories. The RACGP Standards for point-of-care testing (5th edition) (The Standards) were launched at GP18 with the aim to improve the quality and safety of point-of-care testing performed by general practices. The RACGP Standards have been successfully accredited by the International Society for Quality in Health Care Exte...

The RACGP’s Medicare Benefits Schedule fee summary provides members with a quick and easy reference to Medicare item numbers and patient rebates. Accompanying the fee summary is a short guide covering the most commonly used items in general practice. Digital versions of each resource include customisable columns for clinic fees and patient out-of-pocket contributions. The fee summary also includes links to explanatory notes, information on Medicare compliance, and further material that may be of relevance. This year’s fee summary and short guide...

The RACGP has provided a submission to the Department of Health on proposed amendments to two Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for sleep studies (12203 and 12250). The Department has proposed lowering the STOP-Bang questionnaire score requirement to three (from four) to support access to testing for patients with symptomatic, moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea. The RACGP is supportive of this change.

My Health Record moved to an opt-out model in early 2019. The RACGP will be delivering further education in 2020 to assist general practice teams in their use and understanding of the system. To assist in developing education that addresses the needs of general practice and to inform ongoing advocacy, we are seeking your feedback on your experience with the system so far.  The survey, which takes approximately 5–10 minutes and closes midnight on 24 January 2020, is available on the survey on the RACGP website .