26 February 2019


RACGP eHealth Webinar Series

The RACGP is pleased to launch its eHealth Webinar Series, with monthly webinars held throughout 2019 on eHealth topics pertinent to general practice.

The series will launch in February 2019 with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme. The NDB scheme came into effect in February 2018 and applies to all agencies and organisations with existing personal information security obligations under the Privacy Act. Developed and delivered by members of the RACGP Expert Committee – Practice Technology and Management (REC—PTM) and eHealth experts, these webinars are designed to assist GPs and general practice teams understand the NDB scheme and their obligations for assessing and responding to potential data breaches in their practice. 

A number of session times are available. Visit the RACGP website to register.  

Webinars are accredited for two Category 2 RACGP QI&CPD points and are free of charge for all participants.


Supporting children’s resilience in general practice

The Emerging Minds: National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health (NWCCMH) has just released their new course, ‘Supporting children’s resilience in general practice’. 

This free course has been developed in consultation with RACGP Specific Interests and examines the entry points to and opportunities for having conversations with parents about the social and emotional wellbeing of their children. 

‘Supporting children’s resilience in general practice’ will be delivered via four webinars, beginning 14 February through to 20 June.
 
Topics include: 

  • Preventing mental health issues for infants and children
  • Responding to the mental health needs of infants and toddlers
  • Responding to the mental health of school-aged children
  • The effects of trauma on children’s mental health

Visit the Emerging Minds website to register, or for more information. 

Webinars are accredited for three Category 2 QI&CPD points for the 2017–19 triennium.

Final opportunity for input into the RACGP's response to the General Practice and Primary Care Clinical Committee Recommendations

The MBS Review Taskforce released its Report from the General Practice and Primary Care Clinical Committee (the Report) for consultation in December 2018.

The Report contains 18 recommendations, including: 

  • a move to a patient-centred primary care model supporting GP stewardship
  • a new general practice patient enrolment fee
  • support for flexible access, including non-face-to-face access
  • changes to chronic disease management items
  • a change to Level B item descriptors to set a minimum six-minute consultation length
  • the introduction of an Medicare Benefits Schedule item for consultations lasting 60 minutes or more
  • expansion of telehealth item descriptors to support access in general practice.

 The RACGP is developing a response to the Report’s recommendations and is inviting members to provide feedback on the Report’s recommendations to inform our response.

Please ensure feedback is submitted by Friday, 15 February 2019.

If you have any general comments or questions about the Report, email advocacy@racgp.org.au


Telehealth numbers for Focussed Psychological Strategies Providers

General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) has worked to advocate for changes to the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) Better Access initiative by actively contributing to a number of key submissions. 

Due to this advocacy by the GPMHSC, appropriately trained GPs and non-specialist medical practitioners have been able, since November 2018, to provide Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) via telehealth under Medicare in rural and remote areas. 

Medicare-registered GP providers of FPS can now claim specific MBS items for the provision of mental health services in regional, rural and remote Australia. 

Visit the Department of Health or GPMHSC websitefor more information.


Media enquiries

Journalists and media outlets seeking comment and information from the RACGP should contact:

John Ronan

Senior Media Advisor