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Nepean News
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY2009
Board of Directors
Chairman From the Chair Practice should engage the whole Practice team.
Remember that the Division also has employed a
Dr Muthappa Srinivasa 9623 1430 I wish everyone a happy New Year. Mental Health Nurse to assist GPs. This service is
Vice Chairman The Board is holding its annual Planning Day on at no cost to GPs.
Dr Brian Richardson 9623 0278 Sat 7th Feb. It is hoped, that in consultation with the Members are encouraged to attend the regular
Treasurer community, Penrith Council and Area Health CPDs events run by the Division. This is especially
Dr Hany Gayed 9623 6628 Service that there will be a greater mutual so for the first Friday of each month. Apart from
Secretary understanding of the broad initiatives of each education on topical subjects, these events provide
stakeholder. Also that we will build and maintain
Dr Shiva Prakash 4737 3333 excellent “Mateship” opportunities.
appropriate health links, where there is a common Dr (Srini) Srinivasa
Committee Members focus and need.
Dr Mark Dowsett 4729 0388
Practice Nurse’s funding remains confusing. It has These are the views of the Chair and
Dr Steven Wong 4731 3099 been shown that a sustainable model for General not necessarily the views of the Board.
Executive & Division Staff
CEO
Michael Edwards AGPN Primary Health Care The GP’s role will remain about whole patient
Grad DIP App Sc FSAE. CAHRI,MIExpE,OMIE Aust Position Statement care, but GPs will be better supported in
Corporate Services As General Practice moves into the future we providing this care with more care delegated
Administration Officers / Assistants must respond to the increasing demands – in to others in the team working in expanded
Jayne Wooden particular, supply and distribution of the roles.
Dawn Ryan workforce, an ageing population, rising
There will be an increased focus on both
Jessica Cook chronic disease levels, new technologies and
primary and secondary prevention rather
Carol Ang scientific advances, and increasing consumer
than on episodic care. This will be linked to
demand. In responding to these challenges,
General Practice Development achieving improved population health
ensuring patient-centred care and building
Program Officer—Chronic Disease the capacity of the primary health care
outcomes, especially for chronic disease.
Elisa Manley RN.B.Nursing system must remain our key motivators. Practice managers will play an increasingly
GP Liaison Nurse important role in practice data management
What is the purpose of the Statement?
Michelle Doull RN BN Hons CNC and provision and in ensuring that good
The Statement sets out the policy principles
Program Officer-Practice Support and frameworks underpinning the systems
chronic disease management systems are in
Tracy Forsythe M.App.Sc place in the practice. This will become more
and structures that need to be in place to
Cost Recovery + Workforce important with voluntary patient registration
support quality primary health care. It is also
Program Officer/Dietitian (for packages of chronic disease care) and
forward looking. It describes where we would
the introduction of capitation payments in
Lizz Reay B.AppSc.M.Nutr&Diet.APD Ad DipBusMgt like the primary health care system and the
certain defined circumstances.
Alison Warburton B.AppSc.M.Nutr&Diet.APD Network to be in five years time. Overall the
Charity Spalding BHlthSc (Nutr&Diet.) APD Statement aims to: A career pathway will be available for GPs
Program Officer—Youth Health ∗ Articulate the important role of the that allows them to up or re-skill, interface
Network in the primary health care more closely with hospitals, and recognises
Kate Weston EN
system. their clinical and teaching skills and
Program Officer-Diabetes Integration ∗ Highlight the essential role of general experience.
Phillipa Tyldsley BE, BHSc, Dip Nut practice in primary health care.
Practice Nursing Regional entities will hold pooled
∗ Describe how Divisions can continue to
Commonwealth / State funds and use
Morag McDonald RN contribute to quality primary (health) care
Health Assessments aggregated data provided by divisions from
outcomes by supporting general practice
Program Officer –IT practices to better plan and fund the
and the broader community.
necessary health services. Funding for
Adam Ryder Dip.IT,CNE
The new ideas contained within the general practice will include blended
Contracts + Research. Statement cover the following four areas: payments that include capitation, FFS and
HMR/NPS 1. Ideas about regional entities and payment for improvements in population
Paul Morcos B.Sc,MPS,JP regionalisation. outcomes that have been agreed with the
Aboriginal Liaison Officer 2. Shifting within health care and of professions. Funding for packages of chronic
Libby Brown enhancing consumers experience of the disease care will be available to practices for
Mental Health Nurse healthcare system. patients who voluntarily register with their
Philip Gregory RN 3. New and emerging roles within the practice for such care. This funding will be in
Psychologist 4. general practice team: GPs working and addition to fee-for-service and other
being remunerated as GP consultants with payments.
Sara Courtwood BSocSci (Psych), PG Dip(Psych)
delegation of work to others in the
After Hours GP Clinic primary care team such as practice
Overall the nature of GPs’ work itself will
Tracy Forsythe M.App.Sc remain the same, but more systems and
nurses, nurses with advanced or
supports available to GPs to assist in the
10 Macquarie Avenue, specialised skills and the like.
delivery of care.
Penrith NSW 2750 4. A blended payment system for primary
PO Box 903, Penrith 2751 health care that includes pay for
P: 02 4721 1150 For more detail and the means of providing
improvement for specified chronic disease
F: 02 4721 1176
E: admin@nepeandgp.org.au
health outcomes delivered, that maintains feedback see “What’s New” on the Division’s
W: www.nepeandgp.org.au fee-for-service. webpage: www.nepeandgp.org.au
PAGE 2 Public Health Forum to be hosted by
Nepean Division and Penrith City Council
– see enclosed poster and patient information brochures
The Division in conjunction with Penrith City Council will be hosting a public forum at
the Penrith City Council auditorium on 12 March 2009, 7pm to 9pm.
The forum will encourage people aged between 40 and 49 years to attend and is
aimed at increasing awareness about healthy lifestyle choices that will reduce the risk
of developing chronic disease later in life.
Representation from the peak bodies in public health promotion such as the Cancer
Council, Diabetes Australia NSW and the National Heart Foundation will be
presenting, as well as Dr Ray Seidler, a GP from Kings Cross experienced with public
Healthy heart ideas! awareness campaigns. A well known public personality involved in increasing
awareness of hearing loss, Mr Angry Anderson, will facilitate the event.
Use …
Consumer input from the Divisions consumer reference group (a subcommittee of the
Board) has been instrumental in formulating the content and format of the forum. A
∗ margarine spreads
instead of butter;
key factor underpinning the rationale to host the public forum will be to encourage
participants to see their GP for a health check (MBS item 717 [45-49yr] and 713 [40-
∗ low or reduced fat 49yr] health check).
milk and yoghurt;
Please support this public forum by promoting it with your patients and
∗ have fish at least placing the enclosed poster and flyers on display in your practice.
twice a week;
∗ select lean meat When can young persons consent to their
(trimmed of fat) &
skinless chicken;
medical treatment and care?
∗ snack on plain, un-
The NSW Health Care Complaint Commission (HCCC) regularly receives inquiries
salted nuts and fresh from concerned parents that feel the health service provider had not included them in
fruit; the treatment decision relating to their children.
∗ include legumes in Common issues include:
two meals a week; ∗ Tattooing or branding, body piercing, parental consent in shared custody cases,
non-custodial parents
Limit …
∗ take away (pies,
Contact the HCC regarding:
pizza, burgers) & ∗ Valid consent for the treatment of young people
snacks (chips) to ∗ Dealing with complaints directly
once a week; ∗ The legal framework
∗ How the Commission handles complaints
∗ cakes, pastries and
biscuits to once a For more information visit www.hccc.nsw.gov.au or phone Commission’s Inquiry
week; Service on 02 9219 7444 or toll free 1800 043 159.
Do … For information sessions contact Katja Beitat, Communications Officer
∗ Restrict alcohol kbeitat@hccc.nsw.gov.au or phone 02 9219 7494.
consumption
∗ Manage your weight Heart Health Online
∗ Be active every day
Participate in Research for 40 Category 1 QA & CPD points
∗ Stop smoking Deakin, Monash and Swinburne Universities, together with Beyond Blue VcOE are
conducting research aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of a computerised health
information resource (Heart Health Online) for improving the psychological and
physical well-being of people who have experienced a significant adverse coronary
event. Heart Health Online provides patient-tailored information resources in addition
to psycho-education and strategies for managing psychological symptoms associated
with CHD.
We are currently seeking GPs to participate in our study. GPs who participate will be
asked to invite eligible patients to the study and to provide basic physiological data,
such as BP and serum lipids, at the end of the 9 month trial as well as a brief survey
regarding the effect of Heart Health Online upon the doctor-patient relationship.
Participating GPs who enlist at least two patients to the study will be paid $100 for
their time, will have on-going access to Heart Health Online, and will be eligible for 40
Category 1 QA & CPD points. To register interest in the study, or to find out more,
NEPEAN NEWS please contact Dr. Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz on (03) 9251 7344 or
matthewf@deakin.edu.au
PAGE 3
Practice Bytes In a busy practice it can be very easy to forget one of the
most important tasks at the end of the day - properly
- where are the backups? backing up your data.
For some practices this can involve backing up your patient
records to tape, CD, DVD, USB key, external hard drive etc.
It is always important to remember to store a copy of your vital records offsite and certainly external to the
server that you normally use to store your records. Recently a practice suffered a hard drive failure and
unfortunately the backups for the MD software were stored on the same hard drive. This would no doubt cause
disruption to your practice and much anguish.
If you have a spare laptop or PC, it is advisable for accreditation purposes and also for common sense, to test
your backups every few months to make sure they are reliable. You can install MD or whichever software you
are using to the spare machine and run the maintenance utility to perform a restore based on your backup files.
If this works ok, then you know your backups are true and reliable.
IT Support
The Division has recently made contact with a local IT consultancy firm. They are a team of specialists who are
able to source new PCs and servers. They are also ‘master cablers’ and so can install new networks and
telephone systems.
If you are setting up a new practice or refreshing the technology in your current one and would like some
assistance, please call the Division and see what the possibilities are for your business. Don't forget, the Division
is able to provide low cost IT support and advice to your practice through Adam, our IT Support Officer,
4721 1150.
Mindfulness Meditation Australian Lifestyle Medicine Association
for Cancer Patients & Carers (ALMA)
8 week Cognitive Therapy in small groups First Annual ‘Lifestyle Medicine’ Conference, Manly Pacific
Hotel, Sydney, 20 to 22 March 2009. Keynote address by Dr
Eligibility: Norman Swan.
Cancer patients and carers of cancer patients who are
Topics include:
experiencing adjustment issues, depression or anxiety. A
Inflammatory process and lifestyle-related disease, Physical
GP Mental Health Care Plan (Item 2710) is required.
activity, Nutrition / food and fluids, Sleep and sleep disorders,
Facilitator: Addictions and complimentary medicine, Mood states – stress,
Dr Elizabeth Foley anxiety and depression, Using the EPC system, and The role
BA (Psych) Hons MPsychol (Clin) PhD (Psych)Clinical of the practice nurse in Lifestyle medicine
Psychologist & Director of Mind Potential
Conference Format
Where & When: To preserve the practicality of the conference, presentations
Cancer Council Community Hubs will be divided into expert plenaries and short papers,
Penrith: Friday 13th Feb to 3rd of April, 1pm-3pm submitted ‘experience presentations’ within the topic areas and
Rouse Hill: Monday 9th Feb to 30th of March, 10pm-12pm ‘tales of the trenches’.
There is no cost to patients but numbers are COST: $450.00
limited. For further information or to enrol
Register: www.alma-inc.com.au / Troy Grogan 1300 668 407
phone Penrith Hub 9354 2060.
Please Note Staff Profile
The Division’s Healthy Lifestyle Libby Brown
Dietetic Service is located in the Old Council joins the Division
Chambers building, Cnr Henry and Station Streets, Penrith
4731 8055. Please give your patients the correct address
in the role of
and telephone number. Aboriginal Liaison Officer
EPC / Team Care Arrangements Libby is available to assist GPs in relation to identifying
Please ensure your staff lodge the correct claims - MBS Aboriginal patients, communication with Aboriginal patients and
items 721 and 723 with Medicare and before they see making referrals to Aboriginal services, particularly in relation to
the dietitian. We have a number of rejected Medicare mental health. Libby can also assist with the use of Aboriginal
claims due to incorrect lodgement by the patients practice. specific Medicare item numbers.
Patients are entitled to a total of FIVE visits per calendar Patients may also contact Libby, for information, support or
year with Allied Health Professionals. NOT 5 per AHP. referrals.
If you have any queries please contact the Division on To book an appointment or further information please contact
4721 1150, Dietitian - 4731 8055 or Medicare - 132 150. Libby Brown at the Nepean Division of General Practice on
Thank you! 4721 1150.
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 7
What’s on ... These are Division run events
February Lunchtime CPD Events
Friday 6 Laryngo-Pharyngeal Reflux - Dr Michael Hunter
Nepean Shores 12.45pm for 2009 ...
Saturday 7 Annual Strategic Planning Day Speaker and Venue TBA
Nepean Shores 1.30pm — 8.30pm All meetings - 12.45pm
April Fri 3rd - Respiratory
Wed 18 ATSI Cultural Awareness Session
NDGP Board Room 6pm May Fri 1st - Dementia
Contact Libby Brown - 4721 1150
June Fri 5th - Law
July Fri 3rd - Radiology
March
Friday 6th Colorectal Surgery - Dr Simon Chew Aug Fri 7th - Chronic Pain
Management
Venue to be advised 12.45pm
Sept Fri 4th - Child Health
Thursday 12th Public Health Forum - 40+ years
Penrith Council Auditorium 7.00pm — 9.00pm Oct Fri 2nd - Cancer Pain
*in conjunction with Penrith City Council, DoHA, NHF, DA, CC NSW, Management
Connect Hearing, Westfield Penrith
Nov Fri 6th - Neuropathic Pain
Tuesday 31 Management of secondary Management
lymphoedema workshop
NDGP Board Room Lunch time Dec Fri 4th - Cardiology
Invitations will be sent out closer to these
dates with full information regarding
The NSW Institute of Psychiatry and NSW speaker and venue and will be available
Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC) on the CPD area of the website.
TMHC are offering a unit of study Cross-cultural
Mental Health Care in General Practice for GPs or GP
registrars (doing a minimum of 3 clinical practice
sessions a week). The semester begins on February
23. Penrith Imaging is proud to announce
The unit covers a variety of topics including: the upgrade of our
assessment and culture, cross-cultural formulation,
working with refugees and asylum seekers, ethno- GE SIGNA HDx 1.5T MRI scanner
psychopharmacology and issues in cross-cultural
counselling. This state-of-the-art technology will improve patient comfort
and decrease scan times, while providing image quality of
For further information please contact: the highest calibre. Our team of highly trained radiologists
Chandrani Kannangara at the TMHC on 02 9840 3800 and technical staff is ready to offer you the latest in diag-
Chandrani.Kannangara@swahs.health.nsw.gov.au nostic imaging techniques.
Administrator General Practice 02 9840 3833
Amelia.Hatch@nswiop.nsw.edu.au
www.dhi.gov.au/thmc
www.nswiop.nsw.edu.au
Or go to
www.nepeandgp.org.au “What’s new”
for further information
Penrith Imaging covers a wide range of MRI applications
including:
Musculoskeletal Abdominal
This Newsletter is distributed by Barrett & Smith Pathology Neurological Pelvic
PRIVACY POLICY
Vascular Paediatric
The NDGP is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your
We also provide a full range of other imaging services,
personal information. It is the policy of the Division to maintain
security of personal information, including personal health
including CT/CT angiography, general/vascular/
information where applicable, at all times to ensure that this musculoskeletal/women's ultrasound, breast imaging,
information is only available to authorised members of staff and GP general x-ray and screening, biopsies, MSK injections,
advisors. The Division reserves the right to disclose contact details to dental x-ray and DEXA BMD.
Health agencies where it is reasonably expected to do so and within
the scope of collecting such information. Any complaints in relation Contact our friendly staff on (02) 4737 3300
to this Division’s handling of personal information should be directed
to the CEO.
Medicare Rebate Available with Specialist Referral
