GPDV Board Summary
Monday 21st March 2005

1. Agreement Plan 2005-08
The board agreed that the most efficient way for staff to present the new agreement to the board will be to provide full information about the changes from the approved 04-07 plan that have been necessary to comply with any new outcomes required by DoHA and with the compulsory performance indicators.

2. Divisions Review Implementation Committee
The meeting noted Bill’s update on meetings of the RIC and its working groups and the successful Victorian workshop on 10 March. A resource and information Kit about the new arrangements has been distributed to all divisions.
The board noted that there had been strong opposition at the workshop to the proposed Points System for assessing divisions. Bill will report Victorian divisions’ comments to the RIC in April.

3. MoU with Pharmacy Guild
The board noted that GPDV has asked divisions to comment on the draft MoU between ADGP and the Guild. Peter will collate the responses and send them as the view of Victorian divisions to ADGP.

4. HMR Facilitators
Bill reported that there is some uncertainty about the future of HMR facilitators for whom the continuation of funding has not been confirmed. The board noted that if facilitators find other work because of the uncertainty it will be a great loss to divisions, and agreed that GPDV ask ADGP and the Guild to press DoHA for the continuation of funding for the HMR facilitators

5. Review of RWAs
Nola reported to the meeting that the rural teleconference in February had been unanimous in its support for the services of RWAV.

6. Clinical Risk Management
The board noted that Dr Jenny Bartlett, Chief Clinical Advisor, DHS, has not supported our proposal that DHS fund GPDV to act as co-ordinator of the Limited Adverse Occurrence Screening (LAOS) Program (aka the Clinical Risk Management Program).  The board agreed to proceed as recommended in the agenda and to write back to DHS to ask how they intend to perform the co-ordination and dissemination tasks that the program requires, how DHS will give access to the recommendations from each of the GP panels and how DHS will collate and promote information about the successes in and issues arising from the program.

7. DHS workshop for general practices in CHCs
Bill reported that DHS have asked GPDV to manage two workshops on practice management for GP practices in CHCs and that he had agreed on the condition that a major purpose of the workshop is to use division staff to present information to the CHC GPs about the role of divisions in supporting practices in the improvement of their systems and processes – and divisions’ acknowledged expertise - and to encourage CHC GPs to participate more in their divisions.
The board recognised that this is an important step in our interaction with DHS and agreed to the proposal from DHS.
As well as being recognition by DHS of GPDV’s expertise in presenting workshops, this is an opportunity to demonstrate the potential value of divisions to DHS and to keep DHS focussed on the views put to them by GPDV about the best way to expand services in CHCs. It will ensure that the messages sent to CHC GPs are those of the Divisions Network not DHS alone.

8. Directory of Psychiatrists
John Meaney reported that the MH Reference Group considers that it would help GPs to make more appropriate referrals if the directory of Victorian psychiatrists produced by RACGP and RANZCP listed the special interests of the psychiatrists against each entry.

The board agreed to ask the colleges to include these details in the directory.

9. Mental Health Reference Group
John Meaney reported on the MH Reference Group meeting of 15 March

a) GP Peer Support Group: The Ref Group had commented on a draft work-book on the provision of support for GPs’ health which will be rolled out in June after comment by divisions to RACGP
b) GPDV will be asked to support a system for payments for psychiatry similar to those for diabetes and asthma
c) The MH Ref Group is participating in a consensus to improve early diagnosis and support services for children with autism