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October 2001 | |
CONTENTS
GPDV Board Election
GPR Update
NO EXTENSION OF THE GP MOU
AGM and Forum
Vic rep for GPIIAG
ADGP Board election
Practice Nurse or Nurse Practitioner?
Privacy Forum
Clinical Risk Management
Workshops and Networks
Coming Events - October
Domiciliary Medication Management Review
The call for nominations for election to the board of GPDV has been sent to divisions inviting then to forward nominations by Friday 26 October 2001. Four positions will be filled for two-year terms. The Board members retiring by rotation this year, and eligible for re-election, are
Metropolitan
| Dr John McEncroe | Inner East |
| Dr Harry Hemley | Melbourne |
Rural & Regional
| Dr Nola Maxfield | South Gippsland |
| Dr Rob Grenfell | West Vic |
The result of the ballot will be announced at the AGM on Sunday 18 November.
GPDV has recently received some excellent feedback from users of the General Practitioner Register. The GPR is a database of contact information for all Victorian GPs to enable hospitals to send timely and accurate information direct to GPs about the admission and discharge of their patients. It is only available to hospitals and only for the purpose of informing GPs about admissions and discharges of their patients.
The Austin Repatriation Medical Centre has conducted a survey of GPs who have recently received electronic discharge letters from the hospital's Emergency Department. The hospital reports that the GPs' feedback was very positive
We have also heard from St. Vincent's Hospital, where staff have found the GPR data to be extremely useful for transferring patient information to GPs. A feature of St V's system is a warning that comes up on screen to say that the GP contact data must only be used for transfer of patient information.
To ensure that the GPs' contact data is accurate for the transfer of patient notifications, GPDV will shortly begin to re-validate the entire database. This annual process involves contacting all the GPs on the GPR to ask them to confirm the accuracy of the information about their name, address, phone numbers and preferred form of notification.
The GP MOU will end when the current agreement runs out on June 30 next year, following the decision of RACGP on 28 September not to sign a proposed two-year extension.
Following RACGP's decision, ADGP and RDAA put a proposal to the Minister in an attempt to secure funding allocated under the MOU offer of extension. Dr Julie Thompson, Chair of ADGP and Victorian rural representative on ADGP Board, said that the Minister has approved:
Dr Thompson said that the non-continuation of the MOU beyond 30 June means that many initiatives will be taken off the table unless they can be independently negotiated with government. The current status of the measures agreed under the MOU is:
Dr Thompson said that the agreement ADGP and RDAA were able to negotiate with the Minister means that some of the MOU initiatives will still be taken forward. However, that the loss of $8 million (the MOU portion) for rural retention grants, two years of indexation, increased MBS rebates and control by general practice of any underspend on the MBS, is a direct result of the MOU extension not being signed.
Dr Thompson said that ADGP will continue to negotiate on the initiatives that would have been delivered under the MOU extension. She said that one of these, a proposed restructure of the MBS, is high on the ADGP agenda.
The full text of the ADGP statement has been distributed to divisions and is on the GPDV website www.gpdv.com.au, and go to Noticeboard.
The Annual General Meeting of GPDV will be held on Sunday 18 November at 10 am. The AGM will be followed by the regular Quarterly Forum which will be on Pharmacy. The Forum will hear from the major players about the many initiatives for GPs and divisions in pharmacy and will discuss how best divisions can integrate the initiatives into their programs.
Dr Joanne Molloy (Geelong) has been selected by ADGP board as their representative on the GPII Advisory Group. Joanne, who was nominated by the GPDV board from a very strong field of candidates from Victorian divisions, joins another Victorian, Dr Peter Eizenberg (North East Valley), on this important Group, and illustrates the strength of Victorian divisions in the GPII Program.
GPDV has been asked by ADGP to conduct the annual election process for the Victorian members of ADGP's board. ADGP's Articles require that its directors are appointed by the SBOs in each state and territory. In Victoria divisions resolved to select ADGP board members through election by divisions. The two Victorian members – one Metropolitan and one Rural & Regional – are, like ADGP directors from the other states, elected for two-year terms, with one retiring by rotation each year at the AGM of ADGP. The AGM this year will be held on 23 November at the National Divisions Forum in Sydney.
The Victorian director retiring this year is the Rural & Regional representative, Dr Julie Thompson (Central/West Gippsland), who is the current Chair of ADGP. The Victorian Metropolitan director is Dr Jill Grogan ( SouthCity) who is the current Deputy Chair of ADGP.
GPDV has mailed a call for nominations to all divisions, to be returned by 26 October.
Practice Nurse or Nurse Practitioner?
Two roles for nurses in general practice are currently attracting attention - practice nurses and nurse practitioners. GPDV's recent paper "Nurses in General Practice: Background and Current Developments" shows that, although the titles are similar, the roles are not the same.
The full paper has been circulated to divisions and is available on the GPDV website www.gpdv.com.au, click on Issues. The fifth page of this paper provides more information on the definitions of a Nurse Practitioner and a Practice Nurse.
GPDV will present a forum on Friday 2 November to explore the impact of the new federal and state privacy legislation on divisions and GPs. The speakers are
As the new and complex legislation comes into force in the near future, the forum will present information that is essential for all GPs and is particularly important for divisions' CEOs, program staff and board members.
The forum will be a morning session on Friday 2 November, as one of a group of network meetings to be held at the same venue on 1 November and the afternoon of 2 November.
Further information and registration forms will be faxed to divisions shortly.
GPDV will support WestVic Division and DHS in presenting a workshop on the afternoon of Friday 2 November for rural divisions and small rural hospitals on the role of GPs and divisions in Clinical Risk Management in rural hospitals. The workshop will outline the plans to extend the successful DHS-funded WestVic project to other divisions and hospitals.
For the convenience of divisions we have scheduled this as one of the group of workshops and Network meetings on 1 and 2 November. The Saville on Russell has organised government rates for all participants wishing to stay overnight.
GPDV has scheduled a group of workshops and Network meetings around two important special functions – the Privacy Forum and the Clinical Risk Management workshop - to be held at the Saville on Russell at the beginning of November. The schedule is
Thursday 1 November
Friday 2 November
Morning
Afternoon
The Saville on Russell has organised government rates for all participants wishing to stay overnight.
Thurs 18
Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
Presented by DHS.
Contact: Marianna Pisani, 9637 4015 marianna.pisani@dhs.vic.gov.au
Wed 24
Mental Health Consultation
Half day consultation with GPs (nominated by their division)
& CEOs of divisions on the new Mental Health MBS Items
Contact: Anne Diamond, 9341 5213 a.diamond@gpdv.com.au
Tues 30
Vic Metro Divs Teleconference
These teleconferences are intended to increase the direct contact
between the boards of divisions and the boards of ADGP &
GPDV.
Contact: Penny Handley, 9341 5216 p.handley@gpdv.com.au
Wed 31
Vic Rural Divs Teleconference
Contact: Penny Handley, 9341 5216 p.handley@gpdv.com.au
Domiciliary Medication Management Review
The proposed DMMR will also be known as the Home Medicines Review. The new MBS item 900 has been approved and will be included in the November 2001 Medicare Benefits Schedule. Guidance for GPs and Medication Management Review Facilitators who will be employed in Divisions to support the operation of DMMR is currently being finalised and will be distributed through Divisions of General Practice.
For information about the proposed DMMR Referral Form and other DMMR information go to the DH&AC website at www.health.gov.au/epc/dmmr.htm