June 2021

Welcome to our monthly NSW&ACT update.

The vaccine rollout is slowly gaining pace, assisted significantly by the rollout of Pfizer vaccine via NSW Health and ACT Health, which has helped GPs and practice staff access age-appropriate vaccination! We also welcome the increased access for the public via mass-vaccination clinics with Pfizer and AstraZeneca both in urban and regional settings. More general practices were asked in May to express their interest in becoming vaccine clinics, which should also improve access for the majority of people who’d prefer to get their vaccine from their regular GP. We’re hoping GPs will also be able to provide Pfizer as more stock becomes available. Big thanks to everyone involved in the vaccine clinics.

We also look forward to formally hearing about a no-blame insurance compensation scheme to cover any vaccine-related adverse events. A true win for advocacy by the RACGP and our members!

Our hearts go out to our Victorian colleagues as they experience another outbreak. Do reach out to Victorian friends, family and colleagues as they struggle with yet more uncertainty.

Nominations for the 2021 RACGP Awards are open until mid-July. I urge you to promote and submit nominations for the national awards and the NSW&ACT awards to recognise the outstanding work of RACGP members who make invaluable contributions to the profession and to their communities. We could all do with a bit of personal recognition and affirmation after such a hard year.

A reminder that our annual get-together, GP21, will take place on 10–12 September. This year, you can either attend in person in Melbourne or join online.

Remember to take time out to look after yourselves and get some rest, recovery and recreation time. We all need to prioritise our personal wellbeing to care for our patients during these very demanding times.

You’re invited to connect, learn and create in Broken Hill on Saturday 14 August 2021.

This interactive workshop will cover:

• starting your advocacy journey through role-plays and small-group exercises
• connecting, getting to know you – three-minute presentations on passions and interests
• tapping your inner creativity to make mandalas, or explore and understand emotions and ideas through art.

Email nswact.events@racgp.org.au for more information.

Get more information

Event	Date	CPD points
PrEPared to prescribe	Tuesday 22 June 7.30–8.30 pm	2 points
Real time prescription monitoring	Wednesday 23 June 7.30–8.30 pm	2 points
Managing hepatitis C in primary care	Monday 5 July 7.30–8.30 pm	2 points
Neurosurgery: Pituitary tumours and aneurysms	Wednesday 14 July 7.30–8.30 pm	2 points
Let's talk about finances: Cover yourself right: GP insurance	Wednesday 14 July 7.30–9.00 pm	Self-record

Of special interest this year, given the pandemic, is the NSW&ACT Eric Fisher Award for New Fellows. This award celebrates a New Fellow who has gone out of their way to look after the mental and physical wellbeing of colleagues, staff and themselves. 

If you’d like to nominate a worthy inaugural recipient for this award, fill out the nomination form by Monday 12 July 2021. 

The RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health member of the RACGP NSW&ACT Faculty Council has a valuable role. Key responsibilities include representing the views and interests of RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health members to the Council, providing leadership, facilitating two-way communication between their faculty members and the Council, and participating in the Council’s decision-making process.

To express interest in the role, send a short statement to lydia.drury@racgp.org.au introducing yourself and the reasons why you’d like to be appointed.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule (PBS) was updated on 1 June 2021. Refer to the FAQs on accessing and using the Online PBS Authorities System. For more information on broader PBS changes, visit the PBS website.

NSW Health has identified an increase in hospital admissions due to pseudomonas aeruginosa skin infections following ear-piercing procedures. If you have a patient who presents with a suspected skin-piercing infection, send a swab for culture.

Notify ACT Health Communicable Disease Control (CDC) on 02 5124 9213 if you have any patients presenting with recent skin-piercing related pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.

For more information, read this information for NSW clinicians. 

Join a review of the RACGP’s visual identity and give your thoughts on our branding, colours, logo, etc. All you need to do is register to watch a 15-minute recorded presentation and complete a follow-up survey between Tuesday June 22 and midnight Sunday 27 June 2021.

Register now

We’re pleased to announce that the inaugural Clinical Competency Examination (CCE) will be delivered over the first two weekends in November 2021. The CCE replaces the long-standing Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) and the interim Remote Clinical Exam (RCE). 

The CCE will have a blended format, with candidates completing four case discussions remotely via Zoom and five clinical encounters face-to-face. Candidates can start enrolling on 9 August.

We’ll be opening expressions of interest for new examiners in July.
You can find more information on the CCE on the RACGP website.

Read more.

Do you know an extraordinary GP, GP in training, GP supervisor or general practice going above and beyond?

GPs receive all kinds of acknowledgements from their patients, but it’s important to formally recognise this work and dedication to holistic patient care.

The RACGP Awards celebrate exceptional individuals in Australian general practice for their outstanding achievements and contribution to the health of their community.

Nominations are now open for the 2021 RACGP Awards, closing 12 July.

Visit the RACGP website to nominate today!

Date:	Tuesday 13 July 2021
Time:	7.00–8.15pm (AEST)
Venue:	Online
Cost:	Free

 

Hear a conversation reflecting on the role of rural and remote general practice research. We’ll define rural and remote GP research and outlining the scope of research that can take place in these settings. Our panellists will also offer advice to GPs and researchers wanting to be part of rural health research and on the role of rural and remote general practice research.

Register now.
 

People with non-cirrhotic hepatitis C can be treated in primary care with a short course of oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).

These resources can help simplify DAA prescribing:

• A one page pre-treatment check list and treatment guidelines for general practice
• Hepatitis specialist advice within 24 hours via an online form for GPs to initiate DAA therapy
• A remote consultation request form from the Gastroenterological Society of Australia
• Training from the Australian Society for HIV Medicine and the RACGP

Planned Care for Better Health delivers coordinated care tailored to the client, builds health literacy and supports better self-management of illness.

Gai, a 56-year-old single woman, lives near Mudgee and has a complex medical and social history. Her first presentation to hospital indicated someone who had been unwell for a while. The assessment revealed she had been exposed to trauma and her lifestyle choices led to health consequences. The care coordinator visited her at home and developed a plan focusing on what was important to Gai. She is now managing well in the community and has not re-presented to hospital.

Find out more by visiting the NSW Health website.