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January 2000 | |
CONTENTS
Divisions Quarterly
Progress on the General Practitioner Registry (GPR)
GST Information
Enhanced Primary Care: MBS items
Extension of the GPII to 31 December 2000
Practice Incentives Program
Review of Hospital Networks
Report on Review of Primary Health Redevelopment
MOU
Health Weeks
Divisions
Quarterly
All GPs who are
members of Victorian divisions should by now have received a free
copy of the first number of our journal, Divisions Quarterly,
launched at our conference in November.
Each edition of the journal will generate debate about a key issue or theme, promote analysis of issues, inform others about issues in the Divisions' Program, promote and affirm divisions and their work, and contribute to setting the research agenda in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of the Divisions' Program.
The theme of the first edition was "Taking Stock" - taking stock of the Divisions' Program, considering whether it has achieved its aims, whether it has changed direction, whether Commonwealth views of the purpose of divisions match GP hopes and expectations.
The second Divisions Quarterly, scheduled for March, will focus on practical issues associated with providing Practice Support. It will include articles on issues such as:
We will also be interested in comments and opinion about the first issue. As part of the purpose of the journal is to generate debate and discussion within the Program, the Letters to the Editor section will be a significant feature of each edition.
If you wish to discuss a contribution to the journal please contact Christine Macdonald on c.macdonald@gpdv.com.au or phone (03) 9341.5212
Our policy is that the journal will be distributed free to Victorian divisions and their members; others who wish to subscribe will be able to do so using the subscription form in the journal or by emailing subscriptions@gpdv.com.au
Progress on the General
Practitioner Registry (GPR)
In early December the GPR
Expert Advisory Panel convened by GPDV assessed tender
submissions received for the design, construction and maintenance
of the GPR. Each submission was considered according to the key
selection criteria detailed in the request for tender
documentation. The tender was awarded to Computer Applications
Management Pty. Ltd.
The GPR is currently in the software development phase, with several key functional components of the database recently completed. At this stage we expect the development and implementation program to run according to schedule with piloting in metropolitan and rural hospital sites completed at the end of March and the GPR "going live" at the end of April.
For more information, please see documents archived at https://gpdv.com.au (via the Resources link) or contact Jenk Akyalcin (e-mail: j.akyalcin@gpdv.com.au) at GPDV.
GST
Information
The AMA has been funded to provide information to doctors and
other health professionals about the implications of the GST and
will develop a program including:
This service will be for ALL medical practitioners, whether they are AMA members or not, and will be free.
Enhanced Primary Care: MBS items
The new primary
care items are starting to be used by GPs. In November there were
1909 claims for health assessments, 107 claims for care planning
and 77 claims for case conferencing.
MBS items: RACGP Guidelines
The RACGP posted the draft interim guidelines on its website
(www.racgp.org.au) in late October. Since then the College has
been liaising with interested groups (including NACCHO, the
Department of Health & Aged Care, some Coordinated Care
Trials) and assembling a package of resources which will
comprise:
They have nearly finished most of the work, and aim to pilot the package for two weeks beginning January 10th. The first set of forms are now on the College website, and they will post the standards and guidelines, etc, as they become available. The RACGP would appreciate feedback from GPs about the forms.
Extension of the GPII to 31
December 2000
The General
Practice Immunisation Incentives (GPII) Program has been
extended. GPs will continue to receive incentive payments for
childhood immunisations until the end of 2000. GPII funding to
divisions, SBOs and ADGP has also been extended. The evaluation
of the GPII will be completed in the first half of 2000, to be
followed by broad consultation on the recommendations of the
evaluation report.
Practice Incentives Program
There are now
5022 practices participating in the Practice Incentives Program.
Review of Hospital Networks
The Victorian
Minister for Health, John Thwaites, has appointed Professor
Stephen Duckett, Dean of Health Sciences at La Trobe University,
to chair a Review of Health Care Networks. Other members of the
Review are
Stan Capp, CEO, Barwon Health
Meredith Carter, Director, Health Issues Centre
Ella Lowe, Director of Nursing Services, Peninsula Network
Dr Allan Zimmet, John Fawkner Oncology
The Review is to provide advice about the establishment of new governance and management structures for metropolitan hospitals and to identify savings through reduction in costs of bureaucracy. There is also a focus on better co-ordination of services and increased community involvement. The Review will receive written submissions until 21 January, and is due to report to the Minister by the end of March. Although the Review is more relevant to metropolitan GPs and divisions, non-metro divisions may also be interested as some hospitals act as statewide services.
Meetings with stakeholders have not been organised at this stage, although the Review may choose to conduct meetings or further consultations, depending on the results of the written submissions to the Department. We understand that Stephen Duckett will be addressing an AMA session about the Review on 1 February.
GPDV plans to make a written submission to the Review, stressing the importance of the involvement of divisions to represent general practice, and to work towards improvement in the integration of acute and general practice health care settings.
The Review's Terms of Reference may be viewed on the DHS web site, at http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/ahs/min/index.htm.
Report on Review of Primary Health
Redevelopment
The Principal
Reviewer, RMIT Adjunct Professor Hayden Raysmith, has completed
the Report on the Review of Primary Health Redevelopment, which
was released on the 24 December. It is available on the web site
at http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/acmh/finrepv8.doc
Professor Raysmith identified four essential components for the success of an integrated primary care and community support system, they are:
A number of issues are identified under these headings including a range of recommendations.
The importance of the role of general practitioners in integrated primary health care is acknowledged in the report. The report is critical of the failure of the PHACS process to engage GPs adequately.
GPDV is quoted in the document following a face to face consultation with the review team and a follow-up letter to Professor Raysmith. Divisions of General Practice are seen as having a key role in the development of a 'revised common planning framework', outlined in the recommendations under 'Planning'.
The new MBS items are also featured with a recommendation that:
The DHS examine the issues raised by the new MBS items in relation to case conferencing, care planning and annual health assessments, and set up a consultative process with relevant stakeholders including consumer representatives, to consider the preparation of broad guidelines to help providers negotiate with GP Divisions and individual GPs.'
Time lines are presented for implementation of the recommendations which also includes a further consultation and review process on primary care reform to be planned by DHS for the fourth quarter of 2000.
There will be a meeting of stakeholders in February for the Government to receive feedback on the recommendations in the report. The process for this consultation will be announced in January. Following consideration of the responses from the consultation the Government will formally respond to the recommendations.
MOU
The General
Practice Financing Group (GPFG) continues to meet to work on the
implementation of the General Practice Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU). The GPFG comprises representatives of RACGP,
RDAA and ADGP. The ADGP representative is currently Dr. Julie
Thompson, Chair of GPDV, who is Vice-Chair of ADGP.
Two working groups have been established by the GPFG; the Quality Incentives for Prescribing Working Group (QIPWG) and the Pay Doctor Cheque Working Group (PDCWG). The QIPWG has been set up to design and discuss the implementation of the Quality Incentives for Prescribing (QIP) program, and will report back to the GPFG in February 2000. The PDCWG was formed in October 1999 to consider issues about the payment of "pay doctor" cheques and will also report to the GPFG in February 2000.
January
17 Victorian 2000 Sunsmart Week Anti-Cancer Council, 9279 1148
February
6 Scleroderma Awareness Week Scleroderma Association 1800 068 061
14 National Condom Day Family Planning Australia 02 - 6230 5255
26 Cerebral Palsy Week Cerebral Palsy Association 07 -3358 8000
29 Organ Donor Awareness Day Organ Donor Registry 1800 645 899