Our RACGP
Member engagement and consultation is always a core priority of the work of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
There are more primary healthcare reviews than ever before and canvassing members’ opinions is vital to the ongoing advocacy work the RACGP does on your behalf.
Your feedback over the past year has ensured the RACGP’s submissions on the MBS Review, Primary Health Care Advisory Group and private health insurance, to name a few, have been reflective of member views.
To enhance members’ involvement in RACGP consultations, a new central consultations page has been launched on the website, listing all open consultations across the RACGP. This page provides greater opportunity for you to engage with the RACGP and contribute to its broader work.
Member views are currently being sought on after-hours general practice services and I encourage everyone to visit the consultations page to provide feedback.
Every week, RACGP representatives act for you by being involved in numerous policy and advocacy meetings, workshops and discussions. Your comments and views mould the future direction of the RACGP’s work and member support.
The RACGP Expert Committee (REC) – Post Fellowship Education recently held its first meeting of 2016, focusing on how the RACGP can respond to and help shape the proposed implementation of a revalidation process in Australia.
REC – Research also met last week. The committee’s current work includes setting and promoting a strategic agenda for general practice research in Australia, and developing a research masterclass that will improve the capacity of medical educators and general practice supervisors to support registrars to develop skills in critical evaluation and evidence-based medicine.
An engaged membership is a strong one. I thank you all for your continued hard work in ensuring our RACGP is an authoritative voice for Australian general practice.
Dr Frank R Jones
RACGP President
Early advice on the 2016 National Immunisation Program influenza vaccine
The Department of Health has released early advice on the 2016 National Immunisation Program (NIP) influenza vaccine.
Key features of the 2016 program:
- Influenza vaccines will be available from early April, subject to vaccination supply.
- Two age-specific quadrivalent influenza vaccines will be available to eligible people free of charge under the National Immunisation Program.
- Both quadrivalent influenza vaccines and trivalent influenza vaccines are available for purchase on the private market.
State and territory health departments will deliver NIP-funded vaccines in early April, subject to vaccine supply. Vaccination providers can administer the program to eligible people as soon as the vaccine is in their practice.
More information, including resources for practices and consumer fact sheets, will be available in mid-March on the Immunise Australia website.
New pertussis booster on NIP
A whooping cough booster for children aged 18 months has been added to the NIP and will be available to vaccination providers from March.
While there have been media reports regarding shortages of vaccines containing pertussis on the private market, the NIP has experienced is no shortage of these vaccines. The commencement of the program has been scheduled to ensure there are adequate supplies of the vaccine available for program roll-out.
More information is available on the Immunise Australia website.
Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program
As part of the Federal Government’s mental health reforms, announced in November 2015, Primary Health Networks (PHNs) will take on responsibility for the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP) from 1 July.
MHNIP funding will transition to the PHN primary mental health flexible funding pool in 2016–17. It will be quarantined in this first year and PHNs will be required to commission mental health nursing services from the current network of MHNIP providers.
The emphasis will be on ensuring service continuity, however, mental health nurse funding will fully transition to a flexible funding pool from 2017–18. PHNs will undertake needs analysis to inform their commissioning processes, including for the provision of mental health nursing services.
Mental health nurses have an important role in general practice and the RACGP will continue to advocate for a funding model that promotes sustainability, flexibility and high quality care.
RACGP Clinical Pearl
New treatments for hepatitis C
The new hepatitis C treatments made available this week present a fantastic opportunity to facilitate access to a successful cure for an estimated 230,000 people with the infection in Australia.
There is a requirement for specialist input, which can take the form of fax, phone or email, rather than formal consultation. GPs will need to establish consultation pathways with specialist colleagues. GPs should also inform patients that pharmacies may need extra time to supply the item.
For health professionals involved in the management and treatment of hepatitis C, the ‘Australian recommendations for the management of hepatitis C virus infection: Consensus statement 2016’ are available on the ASHM website. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) also has facts sheets available for for consumers, prescribers and dispensers.
In Practice poll results
ePIP eligibility criteria
Over the past three weeks, the RACGP has surveyed members’ views on whether they will upload shared health summaries to the My Health Record in order to continue to maintain their eHealth Practice Incentive Payment (ePIP) eligibility.
While majority of respondents indicated they would upload shared health summaries to ensure their practice continues to receive ePIP payments, nearly half of all respondents (45%) said they would be doing so reluctantly, while a significant 19% of respondents said they will no longer participate in ePIP as a result of these changes.
These results demonstrate a lack of support for the changes. The RACGP will continue to advocate for more meaningful and useful ePIP incentives that support data accuracy and quality and the appropriate and timely sharing of data across the healthcare sector.
The RACGP thanks all poll respondents. The results and feedback will be used to ensure the RACGP is best placed to represent the views of the profession.