Award for best poster
Wyeth has agreed to sponsor the Poster Display at the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) National Forum 2009. Wyeth’s sponsorship allows AGPN to provide an award to the poster it deems to be the best of the Forum.

The award for the AGPN National Forum 2009 winning poster will be a full registration to the AGPN National Forum 2010 to be held in Perth, accommodation and return airfares from place of residence.

AGPN is pleased to offer the award to one Forum delegate. Please note that this award is not transferable.

Excellence in program delivery award
The Forum Advisory Committee has rated the nominations and the following three have been shortlisted:

  • Adelaide Western General Practice Network
  • Southern General Practice Network
  • Macarthur Division of General Practice

The winner of the Excellence in Program Delivery award will be announced on Friday 6 November in the plenary session from 4.00 - 5.30pm, along with the John Aloizos Medal Award.

The Forum Advisory Committee noted that all applications were of a high standard and would like to thank you all for the nominations.

Network member of the year
There has only been one nomination received for this category and as a result the Forum Advisory Committee agreed to withdraw the award for 2009.

Accommodation
Delegates can still book accommodation through the Forum website. For accommodation enquiries please contact Tricia Durrant, Managing Director, Inhouse Event Solutions, who has been contracted to manage the accommodation for the Forum. Tricia can be contacted on 0413 495 817 or inhouseeventsolutions@bigpond.com.

The Australian Government Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Professor Jim Bishop has up to date information about latex in the syringes distributed to practices in the vaccination packs. The CMO’s advice can be found on the Australian Government’s health emergency website on the health professional’s page at http://www.healthemergency.gov.au/internet/healthemergency/publishing.nsf/Content/healthprof under the heading ‘Summary of program and guidance’. The latex item should appear first.

AGPN has developed a national education and training workshop focusing on physical and mental health comorbidities for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. AGPN is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from Network Members interested in holding this two hour training workshop. Network Members will be funded $3,500.00 to hold a workshop, however funding is limited so please get in early to secure your grant. The EOI form and guidelines can be accessed at: http://www.agpn.com.au/programs/chronic-disease-prevention-and-management2/news/expressions-of-interest

The closing date for EOI’s is 30 November 2009. For more information, please contact Ngaira Smith at nsmith@agpn.com.au or phone 02 6228 0859.

There is a growing amount of activity around local Pit Stop events being offered by general practice networks participating in the Mental Health Support for Drought Affected Communities Initiative.

Pit Stop provides a forum for men to focus on their health, offering eight health screening tests provided by a range of health professionals including General Practitioners (GP), Practices Nurses and medical students.

Pit Stop is offered at events like country shows, agricultural field days and local saleyards. Some general practice networks have chosen to undertake modified Pit Stop focusing solely on mental health and wellbeing. There is also opportunity for general practice networks to deliver this initiative in an urban setting. Importantly, Pit Stop provides a mechanism for a follow up visit with a GP, after going over ‘the pits’.

 

For further information on Pit Stop please contact Joy Thomas, Principal Network Adviser, Mental Health at: jthomas@apgn.com.au or on 02 6228 0838.

The Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Nicola Roxon announced this week a further move towards a national registration and accreditation for health professionals.

 

The introduction by the Queensland Government of their Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Bill 2009 (Qld) to the Queensland parliament forms the basis for a national scheme due to start on 1 July 2010.

The scheme will cover registration and accreditation, complaints, privacy and information sharing, and transitional arrangements. This means that a health practitioner will only have to register once, with that registration recognised across Australia.

It is expected that with the scheme in place, there will be benefit in national emergency responses, with workforces being mobilised as a quick response from across the country. Following the introduction of the Queensland legislation, draft legislation will be introduced progressively into all parliaments across Australia to adapt the new national law. The Council of Australian Governments signed up to the proposed scheme in 2008.