Bush Alert February 2020

It has been a challenging start to 2020 for all GPs:

• The bushfires have been devastating
• Poor air quality has impacted millions of people
• Extreme temperatures have affected our most vulnerable.

Whilst some drought-affected communities have experienced welcome rain this month, the long-term health effects from drought continue.

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has emerged as a new threat.

Given these serious challenges, I am confident in the ability of GPs to respond.

GPs are great at managing complexity. It is what we do best.

Rest assured, we will continue lobbying the Commonwealth Government for GPs to be rewarded for this vital and valuable role.

Bushfire disaster

Over the past month, we have witnessed the essential role of GPs in disaster management.

It has been heartening to learn about the contribution of GPs during the Australian bushfire crisis.

As a number of communities continue to manage the threats from bushfires, other communities are beginning to rebuild. Patients in these communities will expect timely access to their GPs. They will want continuity of care and support from us as they rebuild their lives.

There are a number of lessons from the bushfire crisis that relate to the role of GPs. I intend to continue lobbying all levels of Government to ensure we are included in all future bushfire response and recovery efforts.

The RACGP has done a great job in preparing resources to support GPs during natural disasters. You can access these resources on the RACGP website.

Rural Generalist Fellowship update

I continue to prioritise, along with my colleagues, the development of the RACGP’s Rural Generalist Fellowship (FRACGP-RG), including:

• Seeking recognition of Rural Generalist Medicine as a protected title and a specialised field within the specialty of general practice;
• Updating the Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FARGP) curriculum to align with the requirements of a national Rural Generalist training framework.

I am pleased to advise that the RACGP and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), with assistance from the National Rural Health Commissioner, have jointly submitted the first stage application to the Medical Board of Australia (MBA). This application is seeking recognition of Rural Generalist Medicine as a specialised field within the speciality of General Practice. I will continue to keep you updated as development progresses.

Western Australia visit

I recently spent a few days in Western Australia meeting with GPs, government officials and experts in rural and remote health.  It was evident that comprehensive community general practice, coupled with emergency management, is the heart that will keep rural generalism alive.

I saw how rural generalism is thriving in several communities. I enjoyed meeting GPs including Dr Michael Mears in Esperance and Dr Michael Livingston in Ravensthorpe. Both are implementing innovative approaches to address patient need.

During the visit, I was briefed on the efforts of many to provide medical students, junior doctors and registrars with high quality education and training experiences. It is true that rural and remote WA is a wonderful place to train and work as a GP.

I have returned energised about rural general practice and inspired by my colleagues in WA.

Rural GP Training Summit

The RACGP is hosting a Rural GP Training Summit in Alice Springs from 25–26 February to bring together key internal and external decision makers to discuss the future of the rural GP workforce. The RACGP Rural Council will be attending along with key stakeholders from the RACGP and other rural health organisations.

Important information on coronavirus

As developments surrounding the management of Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) change daily, the RACGP team will continue working with the Chief Medical Officer and State and Territory Departments of Health. I encourage you to visit the RACGP website for up-to-date information.

Feedback

I welcome your ideas and feedback. Contact me at any time by emailing rural@racgp.org.au

Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda
Chair, RACGP Rural
Vice President, RACGP

Event	Date	Location
Social sundowner	Friday 21 February	Geraldton, WA
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound	Saturday 22 February	Geraldton, WA
Social sundowner	Friday 20 March	Coffs Harbour, NSW
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound	Saturday 21 March	Coffs Harbour, NSW
Online Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training	Monday 13 April – Friday 17 July	Online
Social sundowner	Friday 29 May	Toowoomba, QLD
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound	Saturday 30 May	Toowoomba, QLD
Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound	Saturday 20 June	Bendigo, VIC

RACGP Rural has launched a new Facebook group. It is a space for rural GPs to connect, share ideas and collaborate.

Join the Facebook group.

Join RACGP Rural for a sundowner social event, including an update from your local RACGP Council Representative or team member. Meet and mingle with members over drinks and canapés. You are also welcome to bring a plus one along to enjoy this free event.

Upcoming events:

Geraldton, WA	Friday 21 February	Register now
Coffs Harbour, NSW	Friday 20 March	Register now
Toowoomba, QLD	Friday 29 May	Register now

The full-day Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound workshop will increase your understanding of ultrasound applications in the diagnostic process.

Experts will guide you through the diverse applications of point-of-care ultrasound in primary care services using advanced, high-end mobile equipment. It is capped at 25 participants to allow hands-on experience.

The workshop is a CPD Accredited Activity under the RACGP CPD Program and is approved for all categories of the Rural Procedural Grants Program.

Upcoming dates:

Geraldton, WA	Saturday 22 February	Register now
Coffs Harbour, NSW	Saturday 21 March	Register now
Toowoomba, QLD	Saturday 30 May	Register now
Bendigo, VIC	Saturday 20 June	Register now

More information and registration.

Acquire mental health skills without leaving your practice with our Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS ST) package to become a GP provider of FPS and provide cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-derived FPS counselling services to your patients.

This online, flexible course comprises 21 hours of online learning, practical use of skills and active group discussion, all accessible via the RACGP’s gplearning platform.

Level 1 Mental Health Skills Training (MHST) is a prerequisite for enrolment. On completion, you can gain FPS provider registration with Medicare to access FPS related Medicare Benefits Schedule numbers 2721, 2723, 2725 and 2727.


2020 intakes:

Intake 2	13 April – 17 July	Register now
Intake 3	22 June – 25 September	Register now
Intake 4	31 August – 4 December	Register now

More information and registration.

Develop the skills to understand and meet the specific health needs of rural and remote communities with the Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FARGP).

In rural areas, diverse health presentations provide opportunities to expand your skills to support your community.

Awarded in addition to the vocational Fellowship of the RACGP (FRACGP)*, the FARGP offers pathways for registrars and experienced practising general practitioners to develop the skills to meet specific community needs through advanced rural skills training and broaden the options for safe, accessible and comprehensive care in Australia’s rural, remote and very remote communities.

The benefits:
• Develop additional skills
• Build strong community connections
• Broaden options for safe, accessible and comprehensive healthcare
• Gain greater depth and breadth of experience
• Access clinical opportunities in hospital and community-based work.

More information and enrolment.

^{*The FARGP cannot be undertaken as a stand-alone qualification.}

The Joint Consultative Committee on Anaesthesia (JCCA) has released the 6th edition of the curriculum for general practitioner anaesthesia, effective from 1 February.

The JCCA is a tripartite committee of representatives from the RACGP, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACCRM) charged to oversee the training and professional standards of rural general practitioner anaesthesia in Australia.

The curriculum was revised to correct out-of-date information for registrars and training hospitals. No significant changes were made to the training content or assessment procedures.

Download a copy of the new curriculum.

The peak Aboriginal Health body in Australia (NACCHO) and the RACGP have worked together to develop resources for GPs and other health professionals to support culturally-responsive primary healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, wherever they seek care.

Following the March 2018 launch of the third edition of the National guide to a preventive health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (National Guide), the teams at RACGP and NACCHO have worked towards:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receiving high-quality preventive healthcare based on the latest evidence (National Guide)
• GPs and practice teams having resources and information available to support provision of culturally-responsive, high-quality healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

A new website has been launched which houses resources that support primary healthcare that is accessible, effective and valued by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
 
Key resources:

• Good Practice Tables: Building on the existing resource Five steps towards excellent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare, five good practice tables provide activities for all members of the practice team, with each activity linked to accreditation.
• Quality 715 health check resource: This one-page resource provides an opportunity for your practice team to reflect on what you are doing well, and what could be improved to support quality MBS item 715 health checks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• MBS Item 715 health check templates (due for release 2020): Five new templates are currently being finalised with the Department of Health after having been co-designed with our working group. These will be available early in 2020:

1. Infants and preschool 0-5 years
2. Primary school age 5-12 years
3. Adolescents and young people 12-24 years
4. Adults 25-49 years
5. Older people 50+ years

• The National Guide (existing): The National Guide advises on activities that can help prevent disease, detect early and unrecognised disease, and promote health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, while allowing for local and regional variations.

For more information contact RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health by calling 1800 000 251 or email aboriginalhealth@racgp.org.au.

When your patient presents with an acute abdomen – do you wish you could use ultrasound to get an answer now?

Want the skills to differentiate a viable pregnancy from an ectopic?

Imagine better treatment outcomes because you can actually see where you’re going.

Enhance your clinical decision making now. Get yourself skilled in ultrasound with ZEDU in Melbourne.

Offering a variety of courses matched to all skill levels, we focus on the clinical applications relevant to your practice. You can choose from obstetrics, trauma, regional anaesthesia, soft tissue, musculoskeletal and more. All courses are accredited ALM activities and eligible for procedural grants funding. See the difference learning from the experts can make.

Visit the Zedu website for more information.

^Paid contribution.

Possums Education is coming to Alice Springs on 3–4 April 2020 offering two-day Neuroprotective Developmental Care (NDC) Masterclasses. This is a wonderful opportunity to develop innovative, evidence-based skills in early life care – without unnecessary medicalisation – and to optimize infant development from the very beginning of life.

Learn about:

• the latest understandings of infant suck swallow and breath coordination in breastfeeding, drawing on new work about the floor of mouth fascia and oral frenula;
• the new gestalt approach to breastfeeding, derived from ultrasound studies;
• effective strategies for decreasing cry–fuss behaviours, including at the breast;
• simple but effective strategies for supporting parental mental health;
• a sleep approach that takes the work out of sleep.

Presenters:
Assoc Prof (Adj) Pamela Douglas, GP-Lactation Consultant, Researcher, Medical Director of Possums Education;
Ms Renee Keogh, RN-Lactation Consultant, NDC Accredited Practitioner
Ms Narelle Dickinson, Clinical Psychologist

Video presenters:
Dr Nikki Mills, ENT specialist and anatomist, Starship Childrens Hospital, New Zealand
Dr Sharon Perrella, Human Lactation Research Group, University of Western Australia

Cost: $500 doctors, $450 other health professionals
Pre-requisites: Certification Workshops 1 and 2 online. $50 each if you register for Masterclasses. 
CPD points: RACGP CPD Accreditation pending; ACRRM accredited

For more information and registration.