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July 2000 | |
CONTENTS
GPII Evaluation
Division Immunisation Coverage Rates
Guide to Representation for Divisions
Accreditation
Medical Labour Force
Primary Care Partnerships - DHS Update
EPC MBS New Item Numbers
Train the Trainer Program
Psychiatry Shared Care Forum
Rural Allied Health
Rural Health Stocktake
GPII
Evaluation
Is your practice one of the 600? Have your say about
GPII.
The evaluation of the GPII Scheme includes a survey to a sample
of practices (600 nationally). GPDV stongly recommends completing
the survey to ensure a full and accurate report.
All divisions have received a survey about their immunisation
program and interested members should contact their division if
they wish to see the completed response. Divisions had very
little time to complete the survey (due June 23rd) which made
broad consultation with members impossible. However, divisions
were able to draw upon the extensive knowledge and expertise of
division staff and GP program managers involved in their
immunisation programs.
Board Finances Workshop
The next in the board governance series of workshops will be held
on Saturday August 19th, at the Monash Conference centre.
The workshop will cover the financial governance role of
divisions. This will include learning about the various financial
reports available to boards such as profit and loss, balance
sheet, reporting formats such as YTD and YTD against Budget,
accrual accounting and what the DH&AC requires in financial
accountability.
Contact your division for the program.
Division Immunisation Coverage
Rates
The May quarter figures show that three Victorian divisions are
ranked in the top 10 nationally. Congratulations to:
West Vic division Rank 1 90.3%
Border division Rank 5 87.5%
Otway division Rank 6 86.7%
Two Victorian divisions are included in the national top 10 with
the largest increase in their coverage rate, from March 98 to
December 99. Congratulations to:
North East Vic 13.8%
Inner South East Melbourne 13.6%
Guide to Representation for
Divisions
GPDV has prepared a presentation that maps the general practice
representation environment. The guide helps division boards or
members to identify where to take particular issues, and the
discussion covers the relationship between the community,
profession and government-funded organisations, and their
inter-relationships.
The GPDV division consultants are available to present the guide
to division boards, and to facilitate discussion of
representation strategies for divisions.
Accreditation
As at Friday 23 June 2000, 63.86% of all practices have
registered for AGPAL Accreditation.
SA 86.6% TAS 82% QLD 78.5%
VIC 76.7% WA 61.9% NT 50.9%
NSW 48.4% ACT 47.7%
Medical
Labour Force
As many readers would know from recent references in the media,
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released the
latest report on Australia’s Medical Labour Force in June.
The report presents statistics on all medical practitioners
registered with the medical board in each State and Territory of
Australia in December 1998. The number and characteristics of all
registered medical practitioners are presented, including
statistics showing employment in medicine by age, sex, type of
practitioner, work setting, hours worked, country of initial
qualification, residency status and geographic region. The report
also includes data on the number of students enrolled in and
completing tertiary medicine courses, levels of international
migration within the field, and 1998–99 Medicare statistics.
It can be viewed or downloaded from www.aihw.gov.au or a bound
copy is available ($20) from AusInfo, the Government Information
Shop (Melbourne branch: tel. 9670 4224, fax. 9670 4115, email:
mel.infoshop@dofa.gov.au).
Primary Care Partnerships - DHS
Update
The Information Management Discussion Paper and Better Access to
Services Draft Policy Framework will be released in late July.
Consultations with Divisions of General Practice, Primary Care
Partnerships and other stakeholders on the contents of both of
these papers, including specific forums for Divisions/ General
Practitioners, will begin in July and continue through to the end
of September.
Following this consultation:
* a final Better Access to Services Policy Framework will be
prepared; and
* a draft Information Management Strategic Directions will be
developed.
The Primary Health Knowledge Base (PHKB) became "live"
and available for public viewing in May 2000 at
http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/phkb.
The PHKB aims to:
* promote a better understanding of primary health services among
all users, including general practitioners, private sector
professionals, and consumers;
* improve linkages between primary health service providers and
between these providers and DHS;
* promote the professional development of primary health services
in Victoria
Primary health service providers are welcome to provide content
information for the site.
A Literature Review of Effective Models and Interventions for
Chronic Disease Management in the Primary Healthcare Sector is
due for release in July. Guidelines for Planning and Management
of Health Promotion in Primary Care Partnerships are currently
being prepared and are expected to be available in September.
EPC MBS New Item Numbers
Train the Trainer Program
Professor Leon Piterman, Department of Community Medicine &
General Practice, Monash University, facilitated the training
session held on Saturday 17 June. The training day was well
received by the 53 participants from 30 Victorian divisions and
from Tasmania. However there were a number of questions raised
about the rules governing the use of these titems. GPDV has
forwarded these questions to both the HIC and the Medicare
Benefits Branch of DH&AC. When a response is received the
answers will be forwarded to divisions.
Divisions are now in the process of adapting the training to meet
local needs and GPDV will continue to field the numerous
questions that keep coming up about the items. In this way we can
develop a State bank of answers to queries raised. Please contact
Rosemary Fenech on 9341 5220 if you would like further
information.
Psychiatry Shared Care Forum
On: Sat 22 July, 12 pm to 5.30 pm
At: RACGP Victoria,
1186 Toorak Road, Camberwell
This forum will be jointly run bythe RACGP, the RANZCP and GPDV.
All divisions should have recently received a flyer about this
event – further copies are available from Sandra Walsh at
GPDV. The Forum is aimed at GPs, Program staff, and Divisions
interested in mental health activities, as well as psychiatrists.
The Program includes presentations from:
Dr Merryn Wild, Border Division
Dr Jenni Parsons, Central Highlands Division
Deb Podbury, Mental Health Branch, DHS
Dr Phil Hammond, Whitehorse Division
Grace Groom, Director Mental Health Support Strategy, Queensland
Division
Professor Ian Hickie, Head, Dept of Psychiatry, St George
Hospital, Sydney
Dr Graham Meadows, Senior Lecturer in Acute Care, University of
Melbourne
Rural
Allied Health
The 2000-1 Federal Budget included funding of rural allied health
services and since then there has been much discussion about how
this funding will be allocated and managed in rural areas. GPDV
has facilitated discussion between the Victorian divisions on the
best response to the proposal, and Minister Wooldridge discussed
the issue at last week’s meeting with GP representatives of
rural divisions. The brief report from ADGP of the meeting stated
that the discussion covered collaborative models, recruitment of
allied health professionals, funding options, and needs-based
outcomes. The importance of the funding fitting in with the PCPs
and not leading to a decrease in state funding of allied health
services was stressed.
There is a possibility that some of the funding will be allocated
on a per capita basis, with the remaining 50% directed to the
areas of greatest need. GPDV will ensure rural divisions are kept
informed of the plans for the rollout of the program, and
facilitate consultation with divisions.
Rural Health Stocktake
The Rural Health Stocktake - a report by Jack Best, dated March
2000, was released by the Department of Health & Aged Care in
June. The stocktake was undertaken between March and October
1999. It was commissioned to advise DH&AC on ways to improve
the coordination and effectiveness of Commonwealth programs and
incentives to improve health outcomes in regional, rural and
remote areas of Australia.
The report contains a number of recommendations related to rural
health strategies, workforce issues and divisions of general
practice. There has been some criticism among GPDV, the other
state based organisations of divisions and ADGP that the report
does not show a deep understanding of the Divisions of General
Practice Program, nor of the full range of activities that
divisions and SBOs undertake. ADGP has distributed its initial
comments to all divisions.
Dr Best’s 150-page report can be found at
www.health.gov.au/ruralhealth/rhs/index.htm