June 2024

June is Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness month. Every year, 400 infants in Australia are born with a disability caused by CMV. CMV is a common herpes virus that, while relatively harmless to most people with healthy immune systems, can damage a baby’s developing brain if caught during pregnancy. Please take time to speak with your patients about CMV, and familiarise yourself with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s guidance to ‘..wash with care, kiss with care, and don’t share’. 

Efforts to secure a positive outcome for NSW members regarding payroll tax have come to fruition this month, with the New South Wales State Budget announcement including a full retrospective waiver for past payroll tax liabilities and the introduction of a rebate for practices that meet the exemption criteria of bulk-billing. I have told the government that some practices might need to raise fees to cover the costs of payroll tax on independent GPs.

In the ACT, we are still pushing for the ACT Government to review its 65% bulk billing baseline for exemption. 

Nominations for the 2024 RACGP Awards are now open online until 24 July. The annual awards are a fantastic opportunity to recognise excellence in general practice and I encourage you to nominate your colleagues and share the nomination form with your HCP colleagues and patients. You can find out more about each of the award categories and submit your nominations on the College website.  Each year in NSW&ACT, we also recognise a New Fellow who has shown a strong focus on the emotional wellbeing of their patients and colleagues through the Eric Fisher Award. Nominations for the Eric Fisher Award are also open until 24 July, and you can nominate here. 

Next month we are hosting another member meet-up and I am really looking forward to connecting with members in Lismore on the evening of Friday 12 July. Registrations are open to all, and I hope to see many of you there.  

With the weather getting colder, it’s important to prepare for winter. The RACGP Winter Planning Toolkit is there to help. It’s the middle of flu season and we are seeing low flu vaccine uptakes in the under 65s. Please continue to protect our community and yourselves by vaccinating, wearing masks, and staying home if you’re feeling unwell. Do take extra care of yourselves as you support your patients through this time. 

Dr Rebekah Hoffman

RACGP NSW&ACT Chair

Respiratory Medicine: A Comprehensive Update on Interstitial Lung Disease and Legionella and Leptospirosis.	Date: 24 June 2024 Time: 7.30–8.30pm (AEST) Venue: Online CPD: One EA CPD hour	Register now
Enhancing hepatitis B care and prevention in primary care	Date: 25 June 2024 Time: 7.30–8.30pm (AEST) Venue: Online CPD: One EA CPD hour	Register now
Exploring Syringomyelia, Spinal CSF Disorders, and Adult and Paediatric Scoliosis: Understanding, Diagnosis, and Treatment	Date: 1 July 2024 Time: 7.30-8.30pm (AEST) Venue: Online CPD: One EA CPD hour	Register now

Join the RACGP for networking, drinks and nibbles in Lismore on Friday 12 July 2024. 

We will share some of the Faculty's key achievements and provide an update for New South Wales members and stakeholders. 

Date: Friday 12 July 2024 

Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm 
Venue: The Sherwood Hotel, 75 Molesworth Street, Lismore NSW 2480

Register now

Date: Saturday 13 July 2024  

Time: 8.30 am – 4.30 pm 

Location: University Centre for Rural Health, 61 Uralba Street, Lismore, NSW 2480 

Cost: $995 for RACGP members, $1,295 for non-members 

Date: Saturday 13 July 2024  

Time: 8.30 am – 4.30 pm 

Location: University Centre for Rural Health, 61 Uralba Street, Lismore, NSW 2480 

Cost: $995 for RACGP members, $1,295 for non-members 

Why attend? 

Designed and facilitated by experienced rural GPs and emergency specialists, the Emergency Medicine for Rural GPs Workshop aims to enhance rural emergency medicine skills, using case scenarios that reflect the challenges faced when living and working in rural and remote communities.  

The workshop 

Participants will rotate through six hands-on interactive emergency stations completed in small groups and will explore critical considerations involved in managing rural emergency cases, packaging patients for retrieval, communicating effectively with retrieval teams, debriefing and self-care. All the scenarios will include patient role players and have been written by experienced rural GPs from real life cases. 

This workshop is a CPD-accredited activity eligible for 1.5 hours EA and 6.6 hours RP and is approved for all categories of the Rural Procedural Grants Program. 

Register now

The Mental Health Commission of NSW and the RACGP invite you to join Mark Horowitz and David Taylor, authors of the new Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines to discuss the practical applications of safely deprescribing psychotropic medication. 

Dr Rebekah Hoffman, facilitator and guest speaker Dr Karen Spielman will discuss, with the authors, why, when and how to stop antidepressants, the risks of stopping too quickly and safe tapering principles adjusted to the individual patient. 

Date: Tuesday 30 July 

Venue: L20, 1 York Street/Online 

Time 6.30pm 

CPD: 1.5 hours (TBC) 

Click here to register your interest and receive full details closer to the event. 

The Eric Fisher Award is awarded to a New Fellow who has a strong focus on the emotional wellbeing of their patients as well their colleagues in the medical profession. The award is judged on the following criteria:

• demonstrated commitment to self-care and wellbeing
• demonstrated involvement with improving the wellbeing and self-care of other doctors
• use of this knowledge to facilitate good care of patients by addressing the biopsychosocial factors that contribute to wellbeing.

Nominations for this award are open until Wednesday 24 July and should be submitted via the nomination form. For further information please contact the NSW&ACT Faculty at nswact.faculty@racgp.org.au.

Nominate here

50 years ago, Dr Merrington became the first President of the Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital, an association dedicated to meeting the emotional needs of young children in hospital. 

Sylvia Rapley-Anderson has written a book, Where Angles Fear To Tread outlining the early years of the Association.   

"This inspirational book shows how, over three years in the 1970s, a handful of determined people revolutionised the way hospitals treat the children in their care. It is a part of Australia’s history that deserves to be recognised and celebrated." 

Dame Quentin will be launching the book at the State Library of NSW on 13 June. 

Register now

RACGP NSW&ACT congratulates the following GPs who attained Fellowship of the RACGP last month. 

Dr Shruti Narsapur	Dr Alexander Ulysses Apfel
Dr Bernadet Sutanto	Dr Chipo Gabarari Mabesere Moyo
Dr Muhammad Fariz Zaidi	Dr Partiban Santhakumar
Dr James David Manley	Dr Rhiannon Baldwin
Dr Leida Suzanne Queddeng	Dr Amy Doldissen
Dr Justine Maria Binny	Dr Shona Schadel
Dr Jessica Margaret Hey Patton	Dr Abhishek Tewari
Dr Halima Begum	Dr Dominic Poh Sian Goh
Dr Eleanor McLeod	Dr Jessica Kisani Arulrajah
Dr Dilshan Neomal Mendis	Dr Emily Dunn
Dr Michale Jessicca Briant	Dr Andrina Ng
Dr Nicholas Glyn Mattock	Dr Umaira Ayaz
Dr Shefali Mirpuri	Dr Prabhu Pandey
Dr Zainab Khochaiche	Dr Alison Scott

Congratulations on achieving Fellowship of the RACGP! We recognise the sacrifice and hard work that has gone into your general practice journey.

Transitioning from being a GP in training to an independent, practising GP is a major career-changing (and life-changing) milestone. The Next Five Program extends its support to New Fellows as they navigate their first few years of unsupervised practice.

Thinking about becoming the next RACGP President?  

Nominations for the next RACGP President open on 24 June 2024. Head to our website to find out more or watch our webinar to learn about the role from current RACGP President.  

You’ll be taken through the requirements of the election nomination process, campaigning and the voting process. 

Boost your CPD hours and enhance your expertise in addressing addiction in vulnerable populations at the GPADD Conference!  

Earn eight RACGP-approved CPD hours while gaining practical skills for treating addiction across diverse populations. Workshops delve into trauma, stigma, , and effective treatment models.  

Recognising the demanding nature of your role, GPADD is offering a session on self-care and resilience strategies. Led by Shawn Goldberg & Dr Aadhil Aziz who remind us that; to care for others, we must first care for ourselves. 

Register by 30 June to take advantage of early bird rates! Learn, connect and earn CPD hours. and enjoy a catered reception following the conference.   

With your support, we can encourage the next generation to become a GP.  

If you know someone that would make a great GP or Rural Generalist, encourage them to express their interest today. 

Applications for the 2025 Australian General Practice Training Program second intake and 2025.1 Fellowship Support Program open on Monday 22 July 2024.  

Useful resources for each program can be found on our website: 

• Australian General Practice Training Program 

• Fellowship Support Program  

We’re excited to help the next generation of doctors join the profession and are here to help. Please encourage your colleagues to contact us on becomeagp@racgp.org.au or 1800 472 247 if they require any assistance. 

Nominations for the 2024 RACGP Awards are now open! Held annually, these awards are a chance to recognise exceptional individuals in Australian general practice and celebrate their contribution to their communities. Visit our website to find out more about the categories in our National and State-based awards, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health awards, and Rural awards – then submit your nomination.  

 Nominations close on 24 July, and winners will be celebrated at a ceremony during GP24 in November. 

Submit your nomination

Rural Health Pro is delighted to announce that it will again host the National Rural and Remote Health Awards. 
 
The Awards aim to pay tribute to exceptional health professionals who have significantly contributed to improving healthcare in rural and remote Australia. In its inaugural year, the Awards received more than 200 nominations and brought together a diverse and inspiring range of healthcare professionals. 
 
Nominations will close on 8 July 2024. 
 
We encourage you to nominate worthy individuals, teams or organisations from within your community. The Awards will once again present an opportunity to showcase and celebrate, on a national stage, the outstanding work being undertaken in rural and remote health.

You can view the ten award categories and the judging criteria here. 

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common congenital infection resulting in childhood disability in Australia. Every year >400 children are born with life-long disability caused by CMV.  Pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy can reduce their risk of infection by avoiding contact with urine and saliva of young children. Risk reduction messaging is acceptable to women and guidelines now state that all pregnant women should be provided information on congenital CMV …and steps to prevent infection. You can update your CMV knowledge by completing the free RACGP and ACRRM accredited ‘Infections in Pregnancy’ module and order free patient resources here.   

The Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) provides financial assistance to eligible regional NSW patients to access specialist healthcare, allied health and  
specialised allied health and dental services. 

IPTAAS provides financial relief for patients allowing them to plan and budget for medical expenses. GPs, practice nurses and administrative staff can let patients know IPTAAS support is available. 

Eligible patients receive a subsidy for travel and accommodation costs including private vehicle travel of 40 cents per km, and accommodation ranging from $75 - $120 per night.  

For more information visit the IPTAAS website, or call the IPTAAS team on 1800 478 227. 

Syphilis is rising in NSW among heterosexual people including women of reproductive age. Women should be offered two universal syphilis screens during pregnancy. 

NSW Health has updated the syphilis notification form. Benzathine benzylpenicillin (Bicillin® L-A) is in the prescriber bag to treat syphilis. If unavailable through your practice or pharmacy, contact your local NSW Health hospital or sexual health clinic. 

For guidance on managing syphilis patients:  

• NSW Sexual Health Infolink (ph:1800 451 624, Monday-Friday, 9am-7pm)  

• NSW sexual health clinics 

• Australian STI Management Guidelines 

• ASHM’s ‘Syphilis Decision Making Tool’  

‘Tips and tricks to encourage sexual health testing in your practice’ webinar 

Viruses like influenza, COVID-19 and RSV are circulating. 

The best way to help your patients protect themselves and their loved ones is to encourage everyone six months and over to get their flu vaccination now. People at higher risk of severe illness may be eligible for a free flu vaccine.  

Older people are also encouraged to stay up to date with their free COVID-19 vaccination and to discuss an RSV vaccination with their GP.  

NSW Health has a range of respiratory illness resources, including newsletter copy, social media tiles, clinician videos and posters available to share with your patients. 

The new Model of Care for the Management of Low Back Pain – Summary (the Summary Model) provides best practice guidance for acute low back pain, through early assessment, management, review and appropriate referral where needed.  

The Clinician Factsheet, Patient Factsheet, FAQs and other resources are available on the State Insurance Regulatory Authority’s website. These resources provide GPs with the necessary tools to provide early education to injured people about their low back pain and support the injured person in their recovery.  

Please watch the recorded webinar on the Summary Model and the personal injury schemes. 

Go4Fun is a free program for NSW children (7-13) and their families looking for support with healthy eating, physical activity, and overall wellbeing. 

Delivered by trained health professionals, Go4Fun takes a multi-disciplinary approach that includes family involvement, and practical tips and resources.  

Delivery modes:   

• Go4Fun Online – online learning modules for kids and parents plus weekly health coaching calls   

• Go4Fun – a face-to-face program that runs for 10 weeks over the school term. Families get practical advice, recipes and other resources to help develop healthy habits.   

• Aboriginal Go4Fun – a culturally adapted program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.   

 Refer today