August 2020

This month has seen an increase in public health restrictions across Victoria – stage 4 in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, and stage 3 for the rest of the state. Our health system is stretched, and we’re all under pressure. GPs in every part of our state have risen to the challenge and are meeting this head-on. Every GP in every clinic has stepped up and made all the necessary changes to keep themselves and their communities as safe as they can be. It’s distressing to hear about the GPs and healthcare workers who have contracted COVID-19, and we hope they all get better soon.

We’ve continued our work with the Department of Health and Human services (DHHS), and we’ve seen changes to notifications, with more to come – notification of GPs from pathology and work permits for GPs. We hope that the COVID-19 case numbers are now starting to come down and that we can get on top of it, but there is still a lot for us to do. We still have to navigate the future of telehealth and build on the relationships we now have with Government.

Dr Cameron Loy,
Chair, RACGP Victoria

The RACGP New Fellows committee is delighted to continue their small-group catch-ups in a virtual setting for GPs in their first five years after Fellowship. Join the committee in a casual discussion format where you can share experiences on both clinical and other matters. Hosted by members of the New Fellows committee, attendees will be given the opportunity to join various discussion groups.

We’re pleased to invite all RACGP Victorian members to attend RACGP Victoria's 2020 Faculty members meeting.

RACGP Victoria, together with the DHHS, is hosting a number of COVID-19 update webinars to be held fortnightly on Wednesdays.

These webinars are presented by:

• DHHS Deputy Chief Health Officer or Public Health Commander
• RACGP Victoria Council Chair Dr Cameron Loy
• RACGP Victoria Council Co-Deputy Chair Dr Anita Munoz.

Medical Panels Victoria will soon be recruiting experienced GPs for remunerated tribunal-related work, offering flexible scheduling and an opportunity to work in a challenging but collegiate environment.

Medical Panels will provide an induction program, ongoing mentoring and professional networking opportunities with practitioners across a wide range of specialties. For further information or to express your interest, please email recruitment@medicalpanels.vic.gov.au

Module 1 of the MATOD training includes how to implement safe and effective opioid prescribing and how to recognise, prevent and respond to problematic opioid abuse. Module 1 is a prerequisite for prescribers who want to attend MATOD Module 2.

You can access MATOD Module 1 at MATOD Module 1 – Safer Opioid Prescribing.

Module 2 includes recordings of ‘essential knowledge’, interviews with MATOD experts and two live Zoom sessions that allow you to ask questions of the experts.

On completion, you'll be trained and recognised as a prescriber for methadone- and buprenorphine-based assisted treatment of opioid dependence.

GP20 will be a fully digital conference, running from Monday 16 November to Saturday 28 November 2020.

The program includes a range of live sessions and on-demand content across the two weeks, covering topics including:

• clinical updates
• the latest research
• how our profession has managed COVID-19
• lessons from and the role of general practice in the pandemic and other disasters
• ways to embrace new technologies and innovations in the digital space.

View the GP20 program at a glance.

Call now open for submission of research abstracts

We’re inviting you to submit innovative, highly engaging research abstracts by 11.59 pm (AEST) Friday 18 September 2020.

Applications for the RACGP Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) GP Education Program – Advanced Skills Training are open for a limited time from 10 August – 6 September 2020. This training is for more experienced GPs who want to develop a personalised AOD learning plan that addresses AOD issues within their local community.

Only 300 places are available on the Advanced Skills pathway. GPs who complete this training receive a $2500 completion payment.

For more information on eligibility and incentive payments and to apply for AOD Advanced Skills or Treatment Skills Training, please visit the RACGP AOD GP Education Program Website.

The second Expert Advice Matters public advertising campaign was launched last week to remind the community to continue consulting their GP for all health concerns, and that an expert is in reach.

The digital campaign aims to reach culturally and linguistically diverse communities. People who speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Hindi or Arabic can find information in their language on the Expert Advice Matters website.

We’re inviting our diverse GP community to record community messages in languages other than English for our social media campaign. Find out more on the RACGP website and help us spread the message.