Welcome, Jingeri.
12 August 2021
Welcome to Brisbane South PHN's new-look weekly newsletter for primary health care providers. The new format makes it easier to quickly find the information you need. Let us know what you think at media@bsphn.org.au. Happy reading!
COVID-19 news
New vaccination location in Brisbane
The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) has opened as a community vaccination centre on Wednesday 11 August 2021. The clinic will be open from 8.30 am – 4.30 pm for the remainder of this week and, from Saturday 14 August 2021, the location will be open 7 days a week with extended hours to be confirmed. People aged 16 to 59 years will need to register online. This is an appointment-only vaccination location, however a dedicated walk-in option will be available for health care, aged and disability care workers, to ensure they are vaccinated as soon as possible.
Support available for primary health professionals
Working in the primary health sector during the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging. It is important for health care providers and staff to monitor and look after their own mental health and wellbeing, as well as that of their patients. Brisbane South PHN has extended its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to all primary health professionals and staff to support their wellbeing during the stresses of COVID-19. The EAP provides a high-quality, short-term, professional counselling service which is private and confidential to assist with personal and work-related issues.
Residential Aged Care Facility workforce vaccinations
All residential aged care workers are required to have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by 17 September 2021. This includes medical practitioners who attend and provide care to residents, students on placement, volunteers, social care, ancillary staff, etc. To ensure this vaccination requirement is met in time, dedicated additional vaccination options have been made available. Contact covidsupport@bsphn.org.au for more information.
Vaccination cards and flyers available
General practices can now order vaccination appointment cards and flyers with step-by-step instructions for patients on how to access proof of their vaccination status, through their mygov account. To order these resources direct from the distributor, click the button to email your practice name, address, and quantity required. Please note, the resource description and number will automatically appear in the email subject line when you click the link below.
Additional COVID-19 treatment for Australia
The Australian Government has secured an initial shipment of over 7,700 doses of the novel monoclonal antibody treatment sotrovimab. This treatment has been shown to dramatically reduce hospitalisation and risk of death in adults with mild to moderate COVID-19, who are at risk of developing severe COVID-19.
Queensland Health vaccination policy for consumers who are close contacts
A summary table of the different exposure levels and conditions for honouring of vaccination appointments at Queensland Health vaccination locations is available here.
TGA provisionally approves Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine
On 9 August 2021, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), part of the Department of Health, granted provisional approval to Moderna Australia Pty Ltd for its COVID-19 vaccine - Spikevax (elasomeran) - making it the fourth COVID-19 vaccine to receive regulatory approval in Australia.
Guidance on Myocarditis and Pericarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccines
Guidance has been developed jointly by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ).
Anaphylaxis Online Training for Health Professionals
This course has been developed by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) to provide ready access to reliable anaphylaxis education throughout Australia and New Zealand at no charge. Development of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for health professionals has included an extensive review process involving ASCIA members and representatives from other medical organisations.
Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) templates
Electronic COVID-19 AEFI Templates for Best Practice and Medical Director software packages have now been made available on the Queensland Health website.
Roadmap to easing restrictions
Lockdown for South East Queensland has been lifted, however a range of restrictions are still in place to keep Queenslanders safe.
Contact tracing exposure sites for COVID-19
Current exposure sites for South East Queensland, and their date and time of concern, are listed on the Queensland Health website. This page will be progressively updated as new locations are released and it is recommended to check these regularly.
Chief Health Officer Public Health Directions – latest updates
Queensland Health has updated a number of Public Health Directions.
Other news
GP Smart Referrals
GP Smart Referrals makes it quick and easy for General Practitioners (GPs) to refer their patients for specialist outpatient services. It ensures referrals are sent to the right place with all the essential referral information needed to accurately categorise the referral, as per the Metro South Health Refer Your Patient website.
GP Smart Referral is the preferred way to send referrals to Metro South, as fax can no longer effectively and securely communicate important patient clinical information.
Installation and training of GP Smart Referrals is available at no cost to the practice, and ongoing support is easy to access. For help with any GP Smart Referral software issues, call General Practice Technical Support (24/7) Ph: 1300 478 439 (select option 2 Smart Referrals).
All training materials, including quick reference guides and videos, are available on the Smart Referrals website. For more information, call the Metro South Smart Referrals Team on 3156 4320 or email the team.
Secure Transfer Service (STS) address book - have you updated your contact details?
The Secure Transfer Service (STS) address book contains health care listings, practitioners and provider information. The public hospitals use this General Practitioner (GP) address book to know where to send important clinical information such as discharge summaries and clinical letters to GPs. To help ensure correspondence is directed to the right doctor, at the right location, please ensure the address book is updated every time there is a change to staff members or provider information at the clinic.
Department of Veterans Affairs Fee Schedule changes
Important changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Fee Schedules took effect on 1 July 2021.
Multicultural Health Symposium - A Culture of Care - sessions available online
Sessions from Metro South Health's recent Multicultural Health Symposium are now available to watch online. These informative and engaging sessions include; health as a human right, achieving health equity; pain, fatigue, sadness and joys across cultures; and engagement from a community perspective.
First Nations Cultural Awareness Training
The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUHI) is hosting Cultural Awareness Training to equip General Practitioners (GPs) and other health care providers with practical tools to support their work with First Nations patients and provide culturally safe practice.
The event will be held at Mount Gravatt Bowls Club, 1873 Logan Rd, Upper Mount Gravatt QLD on Saturday 13 November 2021, from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm.
National Asthma Council Webinar: Asthma in Spring - Allergies and Thunderstorms
As part of the Asthma Best Practice for Professionals Program, the National Asthma Council of Australia and Brisbane South PHN are delivering a webinar on the essentials of best-practice asthma and respiratory management.
The event will be held on Tuesday 7 September 2021, 6.30 pm - 7.30 pm and it is aimed at all health care providers, including General Practitioners (GPs), practice nurses, pharmacists, Aboriginal health practitioners, physiotherapists, and other allied health professionals.
QScript registrations open
QScript is Queensland’s read-only, real-time prescription monitoring system that notifies health care providers to review a patient’s monitored medicine prescription history at the point of care. It will integrate with current workflows if existing prescribing and dispensing software is connected to a Prescription Exchange Service (PES).
Registration for QScript is now available and health care providers are encouraged to register now so that when QScript commences (anticipated in the last quarter of 2021 when the new Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021 come into effect) they are ready to log in and use the system.
Queensland Health has launched the QScript Learning Portal providing free eLearning modules, videos and factsheets which orient health care providers to the legislative requirements, how to use QScript and how to ensure best practice.
Closing soon - Nominations for Pen CS Awards
The national Pen CS Awards recognise excellence in data-driven quality improvement in General Practice and Aboriginal Medical Services, by using health informatics.
Award nominations are open to Accredited Aboriginal Medical Services or General Practices with a Pen CS software licence such as CAT or Topbar.
Nominations close on Monday 16 August so register your nomination today.
Workforce development and training
Brisbane South PHN
Other education
- 19 July 2021 – 22 November 2021 Mondays fortnightly, Supporting Type 1 Diabetes ECHO network
- 3 August 2021 - 23 November 2021 Tuesdays every 4 weeks, Paediatric eating disorders webinar
- 7 September 2021, Asthma in Spring - Allergies and Thunderstorms
- 13 November 2021, First Nations Cultural Awareness Training
Quality Improvement toolkit for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Our Quality Improvement toolkit for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has been endorsed by Kidney Health Australia. It supports general practices to make easy, measurable and sustainable improvements, and provide best practice care for their patients living with this chronic condition.
Kidney Health Australia recognises excellence in Kidney Health. If your practice would like to be recognised by Kidney Health Australia for your efforts to improve early detection, management and coding of CKD in your practice through this QI toolkit, contact primarycare@kidney.org.au.
SpotOnHealth HealthPathways – Vertigo
Did you know that the HiNTS exam is a screening tool for clinically differentiating between a central and peripheral cause in patients with acute continuous vertigo? For more information, see Vertigo.
If you are a clinician working in the Brisbane south, Redlands, Logan or Scenic Rim catchments, request the SpotOnHealth HealthPathways username and password by calling 07 3156 4346 (Monday to Friday) or request it online below.
Healthy Ageing Hubs
Brisbane South PHN is supporting community organisations in our region to pilot 5 Healthy Ageing Hubs, which create local links to primary health care and support older people, their families and carers.
Workshops on everything from healthy eating and exercise to palliative care, help older people to confidently manage their own health and wellbeing in the community.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, and of the many different nations across the wider Brisbane south region. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, as the holders of the memories, the traditions, the culture and the spiritual wellbeing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the nation. We acknowledge any Sorry Business that may be affecting the communities as a whole. In the spirit of reconciliation, partnership and mutual respect, we will continue to work together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to shape a health system which responds to the needs and aspirations of the community.
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While the Australian Government has contributed funding for this material, it has not reviewed the content and is not responsible for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information provided herein.