October 2015

Yesterday the RACGP hosted an eHealth forum in Melbourne. Initiated by the RACGP eHealth expert advisory committee, it brought together key stakeholders to share their thoughts on the future of eHealth in Australia. This forum was an insightful and dynamic event; the RACGP proactively and collaboratively working with a multitude of other eHealth agencies to try and ensure a robust and quality-driven outcome for our patients and the profession. Coincidentally, earlier this week Minister for Health, the Hon Sussan Ley, announced in her address to the...

GPs are reminded that the removal of MBS health assessments for children (‘the Healthy Kids Check’) takes effect on Sunday 1 November 2015. The 2015-16 Federal Budget identified a reduction of $144.6 million over four years through the discontinuation of the Healthy Kids Check, stating that a significant number of health assessments are financially supported by both federal and state territory governments (via community nursing programs). Restricting these crucial services in this way will force families to seek care outside of their medical home. ...

RACGP members are encouraged to further engage with the organisation’s future direction as we move into the  final phase of the governance review . Three preferred models of governance have been released for member consideration. These example governance models have been derived from member consultation and subsequent refinement by the RACGP Council and the Presidential Taskforce on RACGP Governance. The project has been undertaken in conjunction with expert governance consultants, Cameron Ralph. Please take the time to consider these proposed gov...

Over the last year, discussions have continued regarding the role of pharmacists in primary healthcare. A recent piece of work underpinning exploration of this new model of care is  The Pharmaceutical Guild of Australia’s (PGA) submission  to the Primary Health Care Advisory Group It is stated by the PGA within this submission that community pharmacists are well placed to deliver key health services to patients. According to the PGA, aspects of patient care that could be delivered by community pharmacists include:    treating minor ailments (which...

In August I again wrote to the Federal Minister for Health, the Hon. Sussan Ley, on behalf of RACGP members, expressing our real and significant concerns at the removal of a GP’s ability to bill for a chronic disease management (CDM) item and a same day consultation. This measure was introduced in 2014 in order to prevent a small number of practitioners from inappropriately billing these items on the same day. An apparent blunt response to a compliance issue has only served to adversely affect our patients and the delivery of efficient healthcare. ...

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has released the next edition of the  Veterans’ MATES  project.  Getting your patients on board: the annual diabetes cycle of care  focuses on veteran patients recently diagnosed with diabetes and supports the early implementation of the diabetes cycle of care. Copies of the therapeutic brief and veteran brochure have been mailed to all GPs who treat veterans identified in the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) dispensing data, as well as to veteran patients who have been initiated on a diabetes me...

The 2015/16 Federal Budget saw the approval of expansion to the  Australian Childhood Immunisation Register  (ACIR) to become the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), capturing all vaccines given from birth to death through general practice and community clinics. Important calendar dates for the expansion are: 1 January 2016 – the register will expand to collect and record all vaccinations given to individuals under the age of 20. This will support the Government’s  No Jab, No Pay policy . September 2016 – the ACIR will be further expanded to c...

There is clear evidence that continued smoking in patients with a smoking-related disease or with other risk factors for cardiovascular disease (such as diabetes, lipid disorders and hypertension) greatly increase their risk of further illness.   For example, people with diabetes who smoke increase their risk of cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, progression of neuropathy and nephropathy. Smoking also increases the risk associated with hospitalisation for surgery. Quitting smoking after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can decreas...