Newsletter November 1999 GPDV home

CONTENTS

MINISTER TO OPEN CONFERENCE
Board Update
Conference
GPDV Journal: Divisions Quarterly
New MBS Items for GPs
Primary Health and Community Support (PHACS)
DDAC's draft Principles of the Divisions Program
Divisions Mental Health Activities
Update on General Practitioner Registry (aka GP database)

MINISTER TO OPEN CONFERENCE
Victorian divisions will be among the first to hear the new government's plans for the health system when Victoria's new Health Minister, John Thwaites, opens the first Victorian Divisions Conference at 12.30 on Friday 12 November (see below for details).

The Minister's speech will provide a crucial policy context for the Conference's discussion of the impact of the Divisions Program in Victoria and the possible future contribution of general practice and divisions to the development of the Victorian health system.

Board Update
The new GPDV board met for the first time on October 15. The chair for 1999-2000 is Dr. Julie Thompson, and the Deputy Chair is Dr. John McEncroe. There is one Rural & Regional casual vacancy to fill the balance of Paul Hemming's term.

Portfolio holders (and back up) are:
Access Vacant (Dr Rosie Colahan)
Integration Dr John Meaney
Information technology Dr John McEncroe
Practice Support Dr Nola Maxfield (Dr John McEncroe)
Education Vacant
Public Health & Health Promotion Dr Rob Grenfell (Dr Harry Hemley)
Workforce Dr Rosie Colahan (Dr Harry Hemley)
RWAV board members Dr Nola Maxfield and Dr Harry Hemley

The board called for nominations for the casual vacancy which by close of nominations on 29 October were
Dr John Dyson-Berry Mallee
Dr George Golding Geelong
Dr David Kelly Goulburn Valley
Dr Chris Pearce NE Vic

Conference
Don't miss the inaugural Victorian Divisions Conference at the Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre, on Friday 12th (from mid-day) and Saturday 13th November. The Conference will

"Has the Divisions' Program made a difference in Victoria"? Debate with a panel of Victorian "founding fathers" - GPs who set up divisions in 1993 - as Geraldine Doogue draws out their opinions on the success of divisions.

"General Practice - the Future ?" Join in as Terry Laidler leads a panel discussion with Victorian GPs, Dr Gwen Asten from GPPAC, Prof Lindsay Heywood of RACGP, Andrew Tongue, head of the GP Branch, Prof Jeff Richardson, health economist.

Speakers include
Professor Bob Douglas of the ANU on the achievements of the Divisions Program
Liz Furler, First Assistant Secretary, Health Services Division, DH&AC, on Canberra's expectations of the Divisions Program
GPs from Victorian divisions on the lessons of their experience
other speakers on the impact of the Divisions Program on the health system

Allocated Professional Development points: 2 POINTS/HOUR
TOTAL POINTS 17
in the RACGP QA&CE Program
Professional Development point allocation is not guaranteed and is subject to review by the RACGP

All divisions have a supply of registration forms. For more information and registration, contact Michael Mitchener at GPDV on 9341 5219 or email at conference@gpdv.com.au

GPDV Journal: Divisions Quarterly
A highlight of the GPDV Conference will be the launch at 5 pm on Friday 12 November of the new Journal about the Divisions Program in Victoria. Divisions Quarterly will be distributed free to Victorian divisions and all GPs who are members of Victorian divisions, and by subscription to other readers.

The first issue picks up the theme of the Conference and looks at the impact of the Divisions Program and its likely future direction. Read about what Brian Howe, the Minister who set up the Program, hoped to achieve, contrasted with Canberra's current aims. Michael Bollen and Paul Mara write on the intentions of the AMA and RACGP. Victorian GPs comment on what divisions have achieved and their future potential as the voice of general practice.

For information about how to subscribe or contribute to Divisions Quarterly contact Christine Macdonald at GPDV on (03) 9341. 5212 or email c.macdonald@gpdv.com.au.

New MBS Items for GPs
From 1 November the MBS includes items to pay GPs for Care Planning, Case Conferencing and Health Assessments for older people. The new items are part of the Commonwealth's Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Package, which aims to enhance care for the elderly and those in the community with complex care needs. The EPC Package contains a number of other measures, including Practice Incentives Program incentives, further Co-ordinated Care Trials, a Falls Prevention Program for older people and a Chronic Illness Self-Management Program.

The new items will enable GPs to work with other health professionals on case conferencing and care planning and to perform annual health assessments for older people. Because these are activities for which the MBS has not previously paid rebates, DH&AC will implement an Education, Training & Support Program to ensure that GPs are well-prepared to use them. This requires SBOs in all states to develop a plan for their state to ensure that the new MBS items, and the other initiatives included in the EPC Package, are effectively implemented and become an integral part of general practice.

GPDV is currently preparing a proposal for the State Office of DH&AC for an education and support program about the effective use of the new items and the wider implications of the new approaches that they encourage. This will be based on divisions as the most effective conduit for information, education and training to GPs.

The RACGP has been contracted by DH&AC to prepare standards and guidelines for the use of the new items and to develop assessment tools for GPs to use. A tender for the development of a clinical audit process will be let by DH&AC shortly.

Divisions have been sent details of the new MBS items and some divisions have included the new items in CME or other sessions for their members. Question and answer sheets about the new items are being prepared by DH&AC in response to enquiries from GPs and divisions.

GPDV will be providing further information on the new items through divisions as it comes to hand

Primary Health and Community Support (PHACS)
PHACS is on the move again. A meeting with representatives of the demonstration projects - known as PHACS Alliances - has been called by DHS for later this month. One issue that will be discussed is the possibility of the project catchment areas being adjusted to cover single local government areas.

Meanwhile Adele Hamlyn, Primary Health Care Consultant, has commenced with GPDV. Her role is to enable divisions to participate fully in the integration of general practice into the state-based primary health care system in Victoria and to ensure that GPDV is able to represent divisions effectively as initiatives are developed at both by State and Commonwealth level.

A survey of each division's involvement in PHACS projects is underway. This will identify the PHACS projects for each division, gauge the level of involvement by divisions, and highlight issues about which divisions would like advice and/or action.

Alan Clayton, Director, Aged, Community & Mental Health in DHS, will be speaking on the latest developments in the integration of primary care at the GPDV Conference on 12 and 13 November (see front page).

DDAC's draft Principles of the Divisions Program
The Divisions' Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) has drafted and distributed to divisions for comment a set of principles for the Divisions Program. The purpose of the principles is to inform priority-setting for the Program and to provide a basis for its evaluation.

DH&AC asked divisions to respond by the end of October but, following GPDV's representations, has extended this to 23 November. The Draft Principles will be discussed at the November GPDV Divisions Forum, following which GPDV will comment to DH&AC. We have sent to divisions some information and initial comment about these principles (as Policy Issues Paper no.11), to assist Boards in their consideration of the issues. Although a statement of principles may be seen by some as an academic exercise, it is important for GPs to have input through divisions to a statement that will affect the future directions of the Program.

If you are interested contact your division for more information.

Divisions Mental Health Activities
Divisions have received a copy of the summary of mental health activities in Victorian divisions, compiled by Caroline Morris, Mental Health Project Worker at GPDV, based on a survey of all Victorian divisions. Not all divisions are working in the area of mental health, with only 16 of 21 divisions stating that they have a current mental health program in their business plans. The survey will help GPDV plan its activities to match the needs of divisions that are working in mental health.

Update on General Practitioner Registry (aka GP database)
The technical specifications for the GP Registry, written by the computer software development company, Cardinal, have been accepted by GPDV and they will be used to guide the next stage of development. GPDV is currently negotiating amendments to our contract with the Department of Human Services to ensure that GPDV, not DHS, retains ownership of the data. Although negotiations were stalled during the period of the caretaker government, we now expect a swift resolution and the tender for the construction, supply and maintenance of the GP Registry was advertised on 30 October. When the successful tenderer has been selected, it is anticipated that the GP Registry will be available for trial within four months.

GPDV has sought agreement from division Boards to supply GP names, practice names, practice addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses for use in the GP Registry. Hospitals will be required to sign contracts specifying that the GP Registry will only be used for the transfer to GPs of patient admission and discharge information. Hospital access to updated GP information will cease on breach of this condition.

If you have any queries regarding the GP Registry, please contact Jenny Wilkins (Fridays only) on 9341 5215 or Jenk Akyalcin on 9341 5217.